Chase Your Potential

So Long... 2011

2011-12-31T15:41:00.000-08:00

On the eve of a new year awakening I thought about 2011.
I wasn't all that I expected or planned, but it was a productive and prosperous year.
I kept an attitude of prosperity, gratefulness and love in all my ventures. It's surprising simple. Opportunities walk into my life that I couldn't have predicted.
I'm finishing up a adaptation of a novel to screenplay. We have a production company waiting to read the script. Whoohoo.
I am negotiating another screenplay that has two other production companies interested in the story.
I made a lot of great friends working at Caffe Mela in the middle of downtown Wenatchee - my office. Great staff and great customers.
My health is returning after 13 years of struggling. I celebrated an anniversary from my surgery. I feel great.
I have nothing but positive, productive, prosperous expectations for 2012.
It's going to be a magical year. I can't wait.
Wishing you all a wonderful New Year.
Namaste Speedo

The Draft

2011-12-10T12:33:00.001-08:00

I've been adapting a novel to screenplay form since August. I hold a Letter of Intent from a major production studio waiting to read my script.
This is my first adaptation. I have to say it has presented more than a few challenges. I have pulled every trick from my writer's tools bag I can muster... relying heavily on Blake Snyder's Save the Cat.
This week I finish my first rough, rough draft from fade in to fade out...
My process:
1. Go through the storyline to tighten it. I am about a quarter of the way through my first pass. It is tight, but I can make it tighter.
2. Add emotional/action scenes to complement the story. The tighter the storyline the more I can devote to emotional character arches.
3. Add theme, subtext to every scene in order to hook the reader.
4. Include dialogue directly from the novel... tweaking to heighten flavor of the characters.
Next, return to #1
It's hard to express the excitement I have for this project.
I have been half-heartedly writing spec-screenplays for 20 years. I am finally learning my craft...
The key is to plough through, continue to learn, write, have passion for your craft and enjoy to process.
Your Movie - Your Life
Namaste Speedo

Christmas Ideas: Support local services

2011-11-14T22:07:00.001-08:00

I received this email and thought it was a wonderful idea for all of us.... Enjoy....

Christmas 2011 -- Birth of a New Tradition

As the holidays approach, the giant Asian factories are kicking into
high gear to provide Americans with monstrous piles of cheaply produced
goods -- Merchandise that has been produced at the expense of American
labor. This year will be different. This year Americans will give the
gift of genuine concern for other Americans. There is no longer an
excuse that, at gift giving time, nothing can be found that is produced
by American hands. Yes there is!

It's time to think outside the box, people. Who says a gift needs to
fit in a shirt box, wrapped in Chinese produced wrapping paper?
Everyone -- yes EVERYONE gets their hair cut. How about gift
certificates from your local American hair salon or barber?

Gym membership? It's appropriate for all ages who are thinking about
some health improvement.

Who wouldn't appreciate getting their car detailed? Small, American
owned detail shops and car washes would love to sell you a gift
certificate or a book of gift certificates.

Are you one of those extravagant givers who think nothing of plonking
down the Benjamines on a Chinese made flat-screen? Perhaps that
grateful gift receiver would like his driveway sealed, or lawn mowed
for the summer, or driveway plowed all winter, or games at the local
golf course.

There are a bazillion owner-run restaurants -- all offering gift
certificates. And, if your intended isn't the fancy eatery sort, what
about a half dozen breakfasts at the local breakfast joint. Remember, folks
this isn't about big National chains -- this is about supporting your
home town Americans with their financial lives on the line to keep
their doors open.

How many people couldn't use an oil change for their car, truck or
motorcycle, done at a shop run by the American working guy?

Thinking about a heartfelt gift for mom? Mom would LOVE the services of
a local cleaning lady for a day.

My computer could use a tune-up, and I KNOW I can find some young guy
who is struggling to get his repair business up and running.

OK, you were looking for something more personal. Local crafts people
spin their own wool and knit them into scarves. They make jewelry, and
pottery and beautiful wooden boxes.

Plan your holiday outings at local, owner operated restaurants and
leave your server a nice tip. And, how about going out to see a play or
ballet at your hometown theatre.

Musicians need love too, so find a venue showcasing local bands.

Honestly, people, do you REALLY need to buy another ten thousand
Chinese lights for the house? When you buy a five dollar string of
light, about fifty cents stays in the community. If you have those
kinds of bucks to burn, leave the mailman, trash guy or babysitter a
nice BIG tip.

You see, Christmas is no longer about draining American pockets so that
China can build another glittering city. Christmas is now about caring
about US, encouraging American small businesses to keep plugging away
to follow their dreams. And, when we care about other Americans, we
care about our communities, and the benefits come back to us in ways we
couldn't imagine. THIS is the new American Christmas tradition.
Forward this to everyone on your mailing list -- post it to discussion
groups -- throw up a post on Craigslist in the Rants and Raves section
in your city -- send it to the editor of your local paper and radio
stations, and TV news departments. This is a revolution of caring about
each other, and isn't that what Christmas is about?

Pass this on.....

Your Life - Your Movie
Namaste Speedo

What another month....?

2011-10-31T11:36:00.001-07:00

I really don't have much to report in the way of inspiration... Wait..I am inspired!

Summer has left and winter is in the near future... Wenatchee and the Columbia River Valley is a wonderful, colorful place to live and work. I am one lucky man...

I been working daily on the novel adaptation. What a wonderful journey it is to put another author's story into script. I am learning a lot about storyline, character arch, B story... well everything. I know this will improve my storytelling for future screenplays. Oh... the screenplay is maturing daily. I'm beating out the scene process. No dialogue.

Until then.... Smiles to all you scribes....

Your Life - Your Movie

Namate Speedo

What a Month!!

2011-09-28T10:02:00.001-07:00

I can't believe September is behind me... Lots of productivity, creativity, fun...

I am will immersed into the treatment of my adaptation project... It's starting to jell. The work is becoming fun. Full of enjoyment and surprises.

I can always tell when the project turns to fun - I have found the voice of the piece. It's taken me a long time to arrive at this point in my creative career. It was a joy all along my journey.

I feel I'm the luckiest man in the world right now. I know it is only going get better and better.

My bliss have become my career... I am and always have been blessed...

I don't have anything else going on at this time to expound upon... so .......

Your Life - Your Movie

Namaste Speedo

Chase Your Dream - Never Give Up

2011-08-30T20:26:00.000-07:00

I have been writing screenplays for 25 years. Most of the time I kept them to myself. I didn't feel they were ready for primetime.

My first intro into the working of Hollywood came in 88 when after playing around with writing industrial videos. I had put an ad in the Desert Sun looking for scripts.

I received a few, none good enough, but I met a screenwriter to be who became my writing partner for a few of years. Together we were introduced to a producer who had a 'deal' with Paramount. He had an office on the lot. We wrote a couple of scripts that were that good - not that good, but I got a taste of what the industry was all about. It's not for the weak of heart.

The partnership broke up.

Still I would pump one out every few years.

About 15 years later I met another writer/producer of short films and over three years we wrote a couple and scripts and even got one optioned.

All the time I continued to read scripts and books about screenwriting. I would drop it for a few months, but always developed story ideas.

The thing is I kept immersed in the learning. I met a wonderful mentor, Blake Snyder, and was fortunate enough to take a couple of his seminars on the craft of storytelling/screenwriting.

I kept writing, developing and in contact with my last writing partner. I would read his scripts and give coverage notes.

A couple of months ago I contacted him and asked if his project was moving forward. He said that he was in another rewrite. He sent me his script to read and I mentioned it was a vast improvement. Writing scripts is all about rewriting and rewriting and rewriting.....

He told me that he had a project that had been offered to him, but he was too busy to work on it and asked if I wanted to take a look.

Well today I received word that the adaptation that I have been beating out, outlining, sample scripting is going forward. The author has a letter of intent from a production company to make the film when he presents a quality script.

Next week I will be signing an Intellectual Property Agreement with the author to adapt his book to a screenplay. This is fun.

What I wanted to point out is I never gave up. I continued to learn the craft of storytelling and screenwriting so that when this project landed at my feet I was ready.

I never gave up.

Here's the optimistic quote from a screenwriter/author that we all should read every morning...

“Do not let your fire go out, spark by irreplaceable spark.

In the hopeless swamps of the not quite, the not yet, and the not at all , do not let the gero in your soul perish and leave only frustration for the life you deserved, but never have been able to reach. The world ou desire can be won, it exists, it is real, it is possible…. It is yours!” Ayn Rand….b. St. Petersburg Russia

Your Life - Your Movie

Namaste Speedo

Whew

2011-08-02T07:37:00.000-07:00

What a fast July! Did anyone get the license number?

I am that I am. A loving creative being. A creator of my universe.

I have been caught up in a rewrite of a script for a writer/producer. And it's FUN! It has taken all my energy and time.

It's challenging to rewrite someone's laborious creative ideas while keeping the same story intact. What to cut? What character to eliminate? When to start the scene? The Act? When to leave the scene? What scene to cut? All of this without any coverage. It's a blank canvas.

What I decided was to go with my instincts on my first draft. It makes the story mine. Then, I can add and/or subtract from there. It a process and I love it.

I hope all your summer escapes have been wonderfully exciting memorable experiences. These are the souvenirs that you'll cherish forever.

Your Life Your Movie

Namaste Speedo

Experience... No Struggling?

2011-06-28T10:22:00.000-07:00

I was talking to a friend yesterday when he ask me whether I thought life was a struggle?

My first thoughts were "well yeah. It's always has been a struggle for everyone". Then I stopped my thoughts, took a breath and replied, "No I don't".

Then came the barrage of questions:

On your journey through life don't you struggle everyday?

Don't you struggle to change?

Do you really accept everything?

Do you accept the war? Starvation? The Poor?

Frustrated, after about 5 minutes of struggling to convince me, he finally said "You just want to argue with me."

I said, "I don't live my life as though it is a struggle. And no, I'm not arguing with you. Just because I don't agree with you doesn't mean I'm arguing with you. I'm not trying to convince you of anything. You and I have a different view on life. It's not that I'm right and you're wrong." With that he got up and left.

I understand where my friend was coming from. I acknowledge his view on life. I honor his view on his life. It is his path at this time in his life. It's his to struggle if he desires. It's just not the way I choose to live life.

Today I live my life as though it is a series of experiences. Nothing more. There is no good or bad. No right or wrong. No better or worst. Life is a gift. By living in the NOW (No Other Way) I receive the present.

I try to go out of my mind. My mind is always processing life. It wants figure it out and throw it in little boxes so "I" could make sense out of events. This limited me. As my mind was attempting to protect me by struggling to process everything - I was missing out on life. True life.

Years ago I found the life's secret for me. I became vulnerable to everything. Vulnerability became a position of power, not weakness. I stopped trying to figure out what was going on only to satisfy my mind while I was missing life. I was fulfilling my minds needs but at the cost of my heart-spirits needs.

My spirit needs experiences. When I allow my spirit to experience life's events it thrives. This is the reason my spirit came to earth. For human experiences. To feel what it is like to be human. It doesn't judge. It experiences. It doesn't limit. It experiences. It doesn't process. It experiences. Too simple? Maybe. This too is an experience.

This is why I can say that life is not a struggle. It's just an experience.

Your Life - Your Movie

Namaste Speedo

Be Outrageous... have Fun!

2011-06-15T09:41:00.000-07:00

What am I talking about? The care and feeding of your Spirit.

Okay here's the scoop... we are all actors on this stage of life. We get to choose the parts we play on a daily basis. Now the questions is "what role do we want to play today?"

Most of us play roles we are familiar with. The Mother. Father. Sibling. Son. Daughter. Employee. Addict. Lover. Enabler. Dominator. Dependent. Inventor. Thief. Drunk. Blamer. Victim. Wife. Husband... Not to mention all the labels we call ourselves on a daily basis that inhibit spiritual experiences.

Here's the challenge to each of us: Be Outrageous... for life's experiences!

I was so fearful of what the public thought of me a decade ago that I went bright blond. It was remarkable. Not we all now that men do not color their hair. It's a taboo. Really? The women in my life were shocked but complimented me. The men in life were shocked and suggested I'd lost my mind. The end result was this - I was having fun and most people didn't care that I was being outrageous. I recently shaved my head with the same result - people don't care.

If people don't care what you do why not have all the fun you can. Be outrageous. Redefine the roles you play or at least lighten up and have fun.

This is a challenge for most of us. I think it's a hold over from tribe or group mentality. I grew up in a family where the message I heard was "do not embarrass the family". Now I can't say that was the actual message I was given but that was what I heard. It hand cuffed me. It defined me. It limited me to not adventure out and experience outrageous behavior.

The bottom line is I was allowing myself to be defined and controlled by my mind. Old mental pictures, limitations, boundaries, patterns, habits were imprisoning me. My spirit lives on experiences not knowledge. Yet my mind was processioning each experience as it unfolded. No fun! It thought it was protecting me, my spirit.

The result was my mind imprisoned my spirit. Suffocating my spirit. Stifling my spirit. And I was becoming more miserable. When I discovered that my mind was out to get me I somehow found the courage to "go out of my mind". I learned to breathe when I felt myself nervous to connect with my spirit.

Being outrageous allows me to have fun. Today I am vulnerable to life and all of its experiences. I almost missed life. I almost missed My Movie.

Whoohoo!

Your Life - Your Movie!

Namaste Speedo

Going out of your Mind!

2011-06-03T10:24:00.000-07:00

A friend called me today telling me that his head is attacking him.... again. Boy can I relate to this, but not as often as I use to.

I have worked real hard... well that's not entirely true... to go out of my mind. When you think about the your mind it's main function is to protect you by analyzing data, circumstances, surroundings in order for you to survive. It has served you well. But now there's more...

But something is happening today that calls for each of us to go out of their minds. No I don't mean crazy or insane but rather to stop relying solely on rational thought. It is not serving you and me well.

Your Heart-Spirit is calling to you and me. I call this being 'vulnerable' to life. I mean everything - people, colors, smells, sights, experiences. I discovered that being vulnerable empowered me. I met and did things on the spur of the moment throughout my day. I gathered souvenirs - experiences.

I recognized this about a 15 years ago when I noticed I was fighting with my brain to step out of myself. By 'myself' I mean my mind and its judgmental, defining, expecting, limiting behavior. It was not working in my life. In reality, my mind has always kept me in its rut in order to control me. The mind hates not to be in control.

Today, by stepping out of my mind and remaining vulnerable, I connect with my true Heart-Spirit. It's always been their waiting patiently for me to provide it with what it yearns for - Experiences. Any and all experiences without any limiting influence which the mind provides.

By listening to my heart-spirit I have discovered my true calling in this life - to be a Sovereign Being. It is a wonderful journey. At first it took daily practice to go out of my mind. My mind is sneaky. It kept trying to alert me to its unhappiness by suggesting false illusions of fear, doubt, depression and low self-esteme. Again trying to control me.

Slowly I began to recognize where these false illusions were coming from and I 'chose' not to react to it. I would say 'that is a lie' and 'thank you for sharing', then become vulnerable to the experience. The result was true freedom for the first time in my life.

Vulnerability to life is empowering. Today I listen to my Heart-Spirit. It leads my to wonderful experiences.

Oh! By the way... I'm smiling a lot more.

Your Life - Your Movie!

Namaste Speedo

Not Grateful... Start your day over

2011-05-21T12:38:00.000-07:00

What a simple statement. But how do I start my day over?

Answer: Just Do It... as Nike suggests.

I have lived with this simple answer to all my problems for years now. Yet, I still forget to do it now and then. The trick is to recognize what is am doing early in the process or day.

Being human, sometimes I get entrenched in my personal rut of ....... and can't see what's going on until I'm well into it. Sometimes hours pass or even a day until I recognize what I am trudging through and I cannot stop or start it over. How can I limit these periods?

One way is to start with a gratitude list. Another is to get a perspective on how much control I have over the situation.

A friend let me photo this card that he carries around to remind himself to remain grateful throughout the day. Again this is simple.

How grateful are you today? President Abe Lincoln said "You are as happy (or grateful) as you make you mind up to be."

Don't worry about anything you can't control... why? Because it's out of your control. If it's in your control then do something about it NOW... Be grateful...

Your Life - Your Movie!

Namaste Speedo

Attitude Adjustment

2011-05-12T10:01:00.000-07:00

Ever have one of those days where everything you touch turns to s**t?? Luckily for it been quite of while since one those ugly day raised its head.

Years ago a friend of mine told me an easy answer - "Start your day over no matter what time it is".

What he said was stop what you're doing. Just stop. Don't wait for an opportune time. Just stop. Breathe. Breath is a wonderful stress reliever and it's simple. Maybe too simple?

Right now... Take a deep breath. Feel it fill you lungs. Take another if necessary. Feel your whole body relax.

Now go back to what you were doing....

It's an instant fix to whatever is going on. Instant focus.

Your Life - Your Movie

Namaste Speedo

Patterns and Limitation

2011-05-04T09:47:00.000-07:00

Patterns. Our lives are permeated with all kinds of patterns. From the moment of our birth we become a pattern. It shapes our developing minds so it can become turned on for survival in this alien world. A world dominated by patterns.

Duh... so big deal you say. Well it actually is.

Take a look from the perspective of you spirit. We are, after all, Spirits before we inhabit this vessel that we call a Human Being.

Have you ever looked into the eyes of a baby and witnessed the astonishment in its eyes? I contend that its attempting to make sense out of the being that is gazing at it. It smiles when it recognizes the spirit reaching out for it and is scared when there is no spirit present. It is not that there is no spirit there, but rather that the spirit has been over run by the patterns of being human.

Where did the spirit go? The mind has taken over. The mind needs patterns to make sense of its perceived life and survival. It grows in patterns. It learns in patterns. It relies on patterns. And it becomes limited to its own patterns.

Limited? Yes limited. In order for our Spirit to reveal itself we must "go out of our minds".

Okay I need you to make a leap of faith with me.

We have chosen to become human in order for our Spirit to Experience Life. If we don't release our mind and its patterns we will experience the same patterns over and over and over again. Am I nuts????? It doesn't matter.

Let go in order to reveal your Spirit. Your mind sees Right and Wrong. Good and Bad. But is fact these are just judgements based upon patterns of analysis we have learned. Learned not experienced. What happens when you release all judgements? You experience life. Breathe and nourish your spirit. Breathe in knowing and remembering and breathe out doubt, fear, limitation. This is why were chose to come here at this time. This is New Energy.

The Old Energy is being attacked around the world. Look at the upheaval that is taking place. Old regimes are being questioned. New Energy is emerging - Awakening. This is all good.

If you are Old Energy you are questioning the patterns in your life. The limiting patterns our mind has clutched onto. Now is the time to release the old thinking - Old Energy and welcome New Energy. Expansion is freeing. In short, what ever you are going through right now really doesn't matter. It all doesn't matter. Let it all go and touch your spirit.

After all we are all Spiritual Beings having Human Experiences - this is Expansion. Our experience must not be based upon knowledge. Patterns of knowledge limit experience. Why? We prejudge based upon knowledge. Let it go. Experience for the joy of Experience. Let the patterns go. Live life for the experience of life. You will find that you are smiling so much that it may hurt do to lack of use. It doesn't matter. Smile.

Your Life - Your Movie

Namaste Speedo

Life's Enemy - Doubt

2011-04-22T08:01:00.000-07:00

OMG This is my number one struggle in life - Releasing Doubt

I like to think of myself as a mindful man. That is my problem. I have have tried to live for so years in my mind that I ignored my spirit. I relied on rational thought in everything. Work. Business. Writing. Family. Friends. Relationships. In the end, my mind failed me in every area.

I have learned the mind thinks that it has control over everything and every area of life. Of course it would because it thinks it's in control and doesn't want to loose control over Me. my life. Its life. This is exhausting and a big lie.

When I attempt to rely on my spirit for choices in my life instead of my rational thought, my mind throughs doubt into my decision making process. I would relent to doubt and my spirit would weep. Crushed one more time.

Our spirit knows no doubt. It only knows yes. It wants experiences of life to nourish it. That is why it came here on Earth in the first place: To Experience what it is like to be Human.

And when the spirit finally arrives what do we give it? Our mind to fight every experience as a way of protecting us or rather its self. Old habits left over from countless struggles for survival. These survival struggles were real but we are living in a new energetic world of the spirit. I can feel it. My spirit is called to it and is part of it. Our collective spirit is actively changing our Earth.

Look all the upheaval going on around the world. This is a good thing in the long run. The old way of looking at ourselves is changing around the world. The new is challenging the old. People want their voice to be heard. Governments and Religions will fight us on every level but they will relent to this. In the next couple of years we will evolve.

Our spiritual voice has center stage. It will be heard. Doubt is being screamed by our minds, but no one is listening. Spirit is having its voice heard. This is all good even though my mind has its doubts attempting to control life. One more time - Doubt is Life's Enemy.

What a wonderful time to be alive. Sovereign beings each one of us. Listen to your spirit.

Your Life - Your Movie!

Namaste Speedo

Sovereign Human Beings

2011-04-18T08:25:00.000-07:00

The arrogance of this post comes from my journey. It's a given that we all know how to be human right? I discovered that for me that was an incorrect assumption.... that I needed to correct.

My journey of self-discovery in the ultimate experience. I had to break all the rules that I grew up with to exhaust my preconceptions of what it meant to be human. I needed help. A mentor or guide that would introduce me to limitless possible potentials.

I tried the obvious. Family. School. Work. Creativity. Travel. Relationships. Community. Everything worked and provided me with nourishment that in the end was unfulfilling. I still never felt that I was human. I was missing something. And I didn't know what it was, but I was bound to discover that everything listed above had one thing in common: Experiences.

Is that all that this life is? In a word - Yes!

I had to learn to become sovereign unto myself and be okay with my life experiences realizing that these were the nourishment I had been searching for all my life. I changed my perception. Relationships are the water of life as a human. We are all on this journey together but we make the journey as sovereign human beings.

We are at a time when our self-relience is paramount. We are all being waned off of dependence of others, specially governing entities - religious or government. They will fail us all in the end. Reliance on anything outside of ourselves will eventually lead to disaster do to the nature of dependency.

That is what we are witnessing around the world. The old ways of existing in community is crumbing. This dogmatic relationship to the only way we can survive lays in the past isn't working any more. We are all being surrendered to sovereign reliance of that inner voice within each of us. The one who sits in the center of the circle and knows.

This is the true essence of all human beings on our collective journey. Breathe. Breathe and know. Feel the stress and confusion release from every pore of your body. You will be in touch with You. It's what we all have been searching for along our journeys.

This is what I have discovered. I am a sovereign human being. I am that I am. What a wonderful journey its been. And it continues.....

Your Life - Your Movie

Namaste Speedo

Pressure... Breathe!

2011-04-09T08:30:00.000-07:00

We all live in a world of pressure. All of it is caused by ourselves either overtly or covertly. But it's pressure still the same. We are not victims of deadlines, work schedules, relationships, illness.

We place ourselves in a position to be effected everyday to someone's or something's pressure that we give to them. A lot of us do this to feel alive. It's all drama.

What's the answer? Breathe. The gift of breathe awakens the spirit and allows it to calm every fiber of our being.

How does this work? It reminds us all that it "doesn't matter". Where the body and mind want activity, the spirit wants to slow down and experience what going on around it. It came, you came into this physical form for one purpose: to experience.

Throughout our lives we have mistakenly believed physical action and drama is the only experience we need. That is the mind talking. It's what it feeds on. The false belief that the idle mind leads to trouble has been sold to us by western philosophers through the ages. The mind can only feel alive through external stimuli. And it demands this stimuli every moment of the day. Stop believing your mind.

Durning your self imposed stressful times stop and breathe. Right now breathe in calmness and breathe out worry and stress. Breathe knowing and breathe out doubt. Breathe in your true awareness and breathe out release. It's all so simple I almost missed it.

Wake up to the calm within you and live Your Movie.

Your Life - Your Movie!

Namaste Speedo

What's stopping you?

2011-03-31T08:31:00.000-07:00

Are you worried about loosing the familiarity of the past and all it’s drama. Leaping off onto unfamiliar ground? Is this what is holding you back from your new movie? Fear of making a change and having it not work out? Where are these thoughts coming from? Guess?

You are trying to figure this out using old thinking. These are the echoes of your past because you have not committed to your movie. You are measuring the potentials based on half-hearted attempts to experience the what-if I changed. You cannot experience true change by half-hearted attempts. The only true change comes with the empty handed leap of faith.

Are you really finished with the lessons that pre-change has brought to you? Can you trust your inner voice that is telling you that this is not working anymore? Trust only comes with commitment to something new. If you find yourself dragging your feet you are living in doubt. Doubt and Trust cannot occupy in the heart of change. Faith in your true spirit will see you through all change. Knowingness that all is perfect in the now. Now can you trust future potentials? I think you can. You wouldn’t have created this moment if you couldn't

You either trust in yourself or you don’t. Simple. Clear. Powerful. And…. All vulnerable to yourself and what you bring into your life to work for you. This is the essence of your movie. You have lived it in the dreams and now is the time to bring it into your spirit.

Your spirit is crying out for the release of doubt. Trust your spirit to be true to you. Let go of your mind as a source of creation for Your Movie. If you take an honest look at what your mind has brought you in the past - your desire to give your movie back to your mind? Is that nuts?

You can't think your way into your movie. It's too limiting. You are into expansion today. Your mind limits you from leaping ahead. It limits you by holding onto logical steps that it understands. State the goal or dream and be surprised by the journey to arrival. You will be happier.

How's Your Movie coming along?

Namaste Speedo

Potentials Past and Future

2011-03-28T08:21:00.000-07:00

Potentials have always been with us. We choose whitch one we want to bring into reality and our lives. This goes not only for the future potentials we want but also for the past potentials we didn't choose.

These discarded potentials exist in our minds sadly. Why? Because most of us choose to live in the past potentials we never chose. We spent time reliving "what ifs". Chewing on our possibilities that escaped us. Choices we made still haunt us.

We are stealing time from our present now by allowing past potentials to cloud our observation of today.

We suffer the same confusion when we analyze our present potentials by spending too much time in our minds. We believe that if you think our way through life it will get better. This is the illusion which mind presents for us based upon all its time spent reliving the past potentials we didn't choose because it thinks if "we just analyzed our potentials better"...

What does this leave us? The now!

Potentials don't exist in the moment because as soon as we choose a potential it becomes a choice and we own it. All the other potentials now exist in our past. And we act on our choice and our life changes. This is all good.

What this taught me was to become an observer of my own life and through awareness of my conscious decisions live in the now. Nothing else exists but the now. How cool is this.

Today I spent less time thinking my way through life.

I have spent way too much energy trying to change my past and just as much time attempting to prepare for my future. What I lost was my present. I lost my movie.

Ask yourself what do I want? What would I choose right now? Get clarity on your wants. They are there only if you are clear. It's about being clear!

How's your movie coming???

Your Life - Your Movie!

Namaste Speedo

Living in the Past

2011-03-24T09:00:00.000-07:00

We all do it. Why?

It tells us we are alive by what we have accomplished or experienced. It gives us a reason to live today by what we have done in the past. This is crazy. This limits us. Turns us away from new experiences.

Today, this moment is the only thing we truly have. Just now. Why would you want to base today on what has already happened? Why limit my experiences by past feelings, emotions, and all the other limited measurements that I continue to hold onto?

Let them all go. Live in today. Live in the moment and breath. You cannot breath in the past. So I don't want to live there. I will miss all the gifts that await me today. In this moment.

It takes practice. Think of all the time you spend talking about what took place earlier. Last night. Yesterday. Growing up. They're gone except in your memories. You live in one past event - you live your life in all past events.

Love yourself for who you are today. Not who you were. Let it in. Let it all in as you go through your day. The people you meet only recognize you for who you are today. Not what you have done. It's nice, but who really cares besides you? Answer - no one.

Make this moment your movie and project it to the world. It's a blockbuster. Academy award winner starring YOU!

Your Life - Your Movie!

Namaste Speedo

Create Your Movie

2011-03-15T09:07:00.000-07:00

Not surprising to most of us, but we create our life.

What the surprise is that we are now living our creation. It's our Movie.

How is yours coming along? You are showing it to everyone already.

If you believe that you are a victim to circumstances I have to guess that you are not too happy with the way it's turning out. What are you willing to do about that?

Start right now by changing your attitude from pessimistic to optimistic. Take control of your thoughts, dreams and feelings to change your life. Don't settle.

Be creative in this life.

Be selfish with your movie.

After all, it's your life that you are living. Choose wisely. Choose your life. Choose your dream. Become the star we are all waiting to see. Make your movie a blockbuster.

You can start with baby steps and build upon them everyday. Practice right now. You can start your day over at any time. Refuse to accept old habits that you have held onto. Create new habits. You will be astonished by the results. Practice something new everyday and watch what happens.

Your Movie is exciting. I can't wait to see it!

Your Life - Your Movie!

Namaste Speedo

No Doubt Know Faith

2011-03-07T10:05:00.000-08:00

It's really simple. It's really easy. Never doubt yourself. Press forward. Have faith in you.

Okay what's this all about?

Have you ever noticed how often we doubt our success. But we never doubt our failures. Why do we do that. Doubt builds walls and halts our faith and success.

I think it stems to our parents telling us not to boast about our accomplishments and abilities.

I say nuts to this. I will boast about my abilities humbly. If I can spin a story I should tell people so. If I am a great house painter I should say so. If I give the best pest control service I need not apologize. If I am spiritual healer I owe it to people to tell them so.

We have been trained that it's better to be a "Doubting Thomas" than a promoter of ourself or others. This is nuts and I am change. I recognize my skills and promote them.

I am eliminating all of my doubts (Habits) and have faith that all will work out. I will manifest and create the life I want. The success that I want. The relationships I want. This is the way it has always been only we were to embarrassed to claim it. Claim it now. Receive what is your's for the claiming. It is easy. It is fun. It is loving yourself. I is the truth of who you really are. Celebrate life and you will receive wonderful gifts.

How about you? Share who you truly are. The real you. No need to hind. Light a fire within yourself to lead the way. It's who you are.

Your Life - Your Movie!

Namaste Speedo

Create Your Life

2011-02-21T18:59:00.000-08:00

I have been creating my life all my life. Only I didn't realize it.

Whatever I wanted in my life was skewed by telling the universe what I didn't want in my life. And what did I get, exactly, everything I didn't want in my life.

What did I loose? I lost my drive to be everything I wanted. I lost loves that I thought were leaving me. I lost a marriage. I lost money. I lost dreams. I lost ambition. I gave up.

Had I understood that I could have everything: my dreams, my loves, my companies, my health, my jobs, myself. All is mine for the creating feelings and experiencing everything as if it exists now - and it does. Had I only believed this and realized I was creating my woes.

Create your life. Create the Movie you want.

Your Life - Your Movie!

Namaste Speedo

Claiming Your Life

2011-02-01T13:27:00.000-08:00

I have had a rebirth in my ideas concerning chasing your potential. Not really potential but an easier way to acquire it. Claim it. Accept it. Recognize that it exists now - It Does!

I couldn't become anything until I claimed I was that person all ready. Silly isn't it. Nike says it best - "Just Do It". I claimed that I was a guitar player - I was a guitar player. I claimed I was a skier - I was a skier. I claimed I was a writer - I was a writer. Too simple.

Try doing anything. Try opening a door. Try climbing a ladder. Try not smoking. Nothing in this life happens until you do it. Open the door. Climb the ladder. Stop smoking. Why do we think that we have to try everything. We either do it or not.

Life is the same way. Put away all the pre-taught lessons given to us by our "teachers". As helpful that you may think they are, they are not helping you to be the person you want to be. They limit who you really are. They define you so why not make them grand, over the top, out of this world, universe size. That is who you really are. You are all that you can be.

If you can think it, dream it, feel it - you are all ready there.

Today - Claim who you really are. No limitations.

Focus on what you want. There is no room for anything else. This takes practice and more practice. If you feel yourself slipping back to all thoughts, rules, limitations - toss them out immediately. This is you. This is your dream. This is your movie. This is your Life.

Claim it - Live it. Have fun. Feel your happiness.

Your Life - Your Rules!

Namaste Speedo

Potential - Whose?

2011-01-25T10:57:00.000-08:00

Try harder. You can do it. You have such potential. Sound familiar?

For most if not all of us, we heard this from loving or dysfunctional parents, partners, brothers and sisters all our lives. They did this out of love. They all wanted to us to achieve something. It was good and it absolutely frustrated me to the cord. I built up wall and shut their kind words out.

I got Pissed. Combative. Secluded to the point of failing, just to show them they were wrong. And I proved that I was right - I couldn't do it.

Then I heard my own voice direction me toward what I enjoyed. And I succeeded. I tried something else that I wanted and drew my interest. I succeeded. This continues until this day and you know what - I succeed.

I call this Chasing My Potential. And my Dreams.

This site and my coaching is all directed toward - you finding what your dreams are and chasing them. You know what? You will succeed. Step my step when we break down what you dreams are - goals - into intermediate step you will succeed. And you will be proud. And amazed how simple it was.

Chase Your Potential that you define, design, want and succeed.

Your Life - Your Rules!

Namaste Speedo

New Page - New Energy

2011-01-24T10:48:00.000-08:00

Wow! This is a great year to be alive.

So much is happening and will continue to materialize in the realm of manifesting what we all claim in our lives. I am claiming this now.

Chase Your Potential has taken the step toward fullness of realizing the universe is already creating what we want in our lives. We have always created it. But we were so blind that we couldn't come to realize it is here just waiting for us to claim it.

Whether you are starting a new business, a new relationship or simply want to attract abundant money into your life. Claim it and believe it is here and it will be. The power is in all of us. We have no wants only recognizing it is here now. Simple yes.

I discovered through my writing podcast a wonderful spiritual healer/guide Dee Wallace - "Conscious Creation" available on iTunes. I highly recommend her to all. Start at the beginning and take the journey. It's wonderful.

Love and prosperity to you all.

Your Life - Your Rules!

Namaste Speedo

Snowy Holidays

2010-12-20T12:16:00.000-08:00

Hello from snowy Wenatchee.

This is the season of Good Will and Peace on Earth. Maybe it's just living in rural Americana but the people I run into are all Happy with the Season's Cheer. They take time to great friends on the street or at the coffee house. Most have already finished their shopping and are able to enjoy the holidays. What a nice change. Sure there are some jerks out there, but they are the exception and not the rule.

This is hoping all of you have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Remember - we all create what we want. Think limitless thoughts for the new year.

Your Life - Your Rules!

Namaste Speedo

Dream Manifestation

2010-12-01T09:04:00.001-08:00

Optimism combined with hard work and positive manifestation will create a wonderful life but I have to do the footwork. What is the old saying - Luck is just work hard meeting opportunity.

I work hard when I create a screenplay, story development, seminar or anything in life. I must remember that the work is my part in the equation. The outcome, my dream, will be laid at my feet based upon my efforts.

When I was starting out chasing my dreams I failed to take the initial steps necessary to create my dream. I wanted to jump to the golden ring before any work was undertaken. After years of laying the pipe - a writers phrase - and accepting the results this created I now take joy in the work necessary.

Today - I have put a project "Revealing", that I have been struggling with for 6 months, in the drawer and picked up an older project "Risking" to develop. I have learned so much through my efforts on "Revealing" that will be paid off through my efforts in writing "Risking". In the end both projects will benefit. I am the winner.

What are your dreams you're working toward? Are you laying the pipe necessary to reach your dream? Today - I hope you realize that your dreams are waiting for you to put in the work that they deserve.

Your Life - Your Rules!

Namaste Speedo

Unceasing Optimism

2010-11-09T08:59:00.000-08:00

Unceasing Optimism by Tony Ventrella

This post was on the Seahawks Blog site. It has everything to do with Chasing Your Potential.

Nothing good has ever come about without at least one leader showing the ability and the will to get up off the canvas and fight on. I’m tempted to go on and on using boxing analogies but I might bore you to tears if you’re not a fan of boxing.

On Sunday before the Seahawks game I had the pleasure of meeting 12th Man flag raiser Lt. Buck Compton, the war hero about whom the television series “Band of Brothers,” is based. Buck is in his 90s now but still has a twinkle in his eye and an optimistic attitude about his life and his country.

Buck lived a life that would make “Forrest Gump” look like a boring character. He grew up in southern California where he quickly developed into a very good baseball and football player at the high school level.

He grew up quickly mostly due to his father’s suicide in July 1933 when Buck was just a teenager.

In his book “Call of Duty,’ published in May of 2008 Lt. Compton tells the story of his life. After his father’s death Buck went on to succeed at UCLA as a football player, seeing action in the 1943 Rose Bowl game against Georgia.

"Something good is going to happen today."

Your Life - Your Rules!

Namaste Speedo

Where did the year go?

2010-08-17T10:35:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you but my year has screamed by. Whoosh! But for the most part it has been all good.

My health is acting up once again. Anemia and Crohns are ever present. But it is a process. I have a bunch of good doctors here in Wenatchee. It is taxing on my energy though. That's a bummer because the last couple of months has been wonderful bike riding weather.

The people here are real kind and the sober community is both active and engaging. We have a 3 day water skiing weekend over the 4th of July attended by about 40+ people. This is a 'outdoors' mentality living environment that attracts like minded people. With the Columbia and its many man-made dam lakes along with the Cascades it's a Mecca for families seeking a better life-style versus the big city live with all of its inherent problems.

I'm writing both my novel and script call Revealing. I am enjoying the journey creativity. I have been in touch with my old writing partner and that has invigorated me.

Well that's about all I have at this point. I hope all is well with each of you and you're living your dreams.

Your Life - Your Rules!

Namaste Speedo

Adventures

2010-07-16T10:00:00.000-07:00

I know they come in all forms - large epic and small moments. To me the values is the part that will allow myself to participate.

When I am open with no agenda I am a willing player on the stage of life. I have my major or bit part and I perform when it's my turn. Not wanting to take away from other actors or the audience even.

Now when I am not in the moment and have an agenda I miss or force my cues and I become out of step with the rest of the cast. I push my will because I want to become the director because I am frightened to let life and the scene unfold as it will.

Today I am sitting in Manson WA on the shores of Lake Chelan. I beautiful little town surrounded by vineyards and orchards. The lake is the third deepest lake in the country. Nearly 1500 feet. I am writing a story/script that takes place around here so I thought that I should come see for myself. I know my Manson well be a composite of a number of small towns - poetic license.

Your Life - Your Rules!

Namaste Speedo

Relationship Commitment

2010-06-14T13:32:00.000-07:00

I am working with a couple who have been seeing each on and off again for a number of years. It seems that every few weeks they need a break from each other. I wonder if they are really committed to this relationship or has it become a habit?

All 12 step programs have what they call Traditions that were written to hold the group together. Early in the expansion of AA, the founders found that the groups were beginning to loose sight on what their purpose was. Some groups allowed other segments of society: politics, dress code, ethnic, education, profession, etc. to become a requirement for going to that group.

Like a relationship the groups finally had to adhere to a singleness of purpose: for AA it was a desire to stop drinking. In relationships it is the desire to be in that relationship. Unity. Then you can ask about a leader - there is none. A conscious contact with a higher power not a leader per se.

The main question becomes - what am I willing to do to keep this relationship. In other-words, after all is said and done, all the finger pointing, am I willing to do everything to keep this relationship growing? What's the answer? That for the couple to figure out. All the therapy in the word cannot help without two people wanting to be in the relationship.

How's your relationship going?????

Your Life - Your Rules!

Namaste Speedo

Never compromise a dream!!!

2010-05-05T09:37:00.000-07:00

Never compromise a dream. . . . Always compromise on how it will come true.

When I read this earlier today it his me like a ton of inspiration. How does it strike you?

Years ago I was looking for the business that I could run out of my home. I somehow gained the courage to put it out there in the universe. I manifested this "dream" for a few months. I didn't really know how it would materialize, but I just kept thinking and watching. The key it staying conscious.

One day I ran into a unique product. I found a partner, met with the distributors who were at a show in Las Vegas and bingo . . . . I was in business.

Things that work for me somehow get pushed aside by my ego. When I put it out there to the universe and stay open to the power of the universe providing for me . . . miracles happen.

So when I read this quote I was once again kicked in the butt to "get out of the way and allow the universe to provide for me". Duhhhhhh!

Your Life - Your Rules!

Namaste Speedo

Seahawks Coach Pete Carroll Quote

2010-04-29T11:44:00.000-07:00

I saw this quote on the Seahawks from Coach Carroll - “The better we know who we are, the better we’ll be,” Carroll told his staff. “The more we can embrace the thought of who we want to be, the faster we can become it.”

I think that about sums up the Chase Your Potential philosophy. Until I decide what I want to be - whether it is career, relationship, creative, whatever. . . . until that happens and moves from my head to my heart I am just existing. I flounder like a boat with out a rudder. I just move with the flow. Directionless.

I know about this because that is me - or rather it was me. Indecisive and lost. And after a time I wallowed in my fears. A friend point out that fear was just False Emotions Apprehending my Reality. In retrospect that was my prison.

When I discovered my passion for Coaching and Chasing My Potential I became alive. The push over the next three months is to manifest a select clientele who wants to Chase their Potential in all areas of their lives.

Maybe it's you.

Chasing required Change. Change required Courage. Courage to requires Honesty. All of the above requires Discipline to Persevere.

I love this.

Your Life - Your Rules!

Namaste Speedo

Honesty

2010-04-26T09:32:00.000-07:00

Principle One - Honesty - fairness and straight forwardness of conduct; adherence to the facts.

Whoa! That's a lot to swallow. At least it was for me in the beginning of my recovery in 1988. I could not see myself being completely honest 'all the time'. So I had to learn through practice to watch my conduct throughout my day.

This one simple effort spawned responsibilities that I had to the people around me to find the courage to be 'honest' with them about 'me'. And all I had to do is 'adhere to the facts'. I'd let the facts speak for me with no embellishment or minimization.

An amazing thing happened - I stopped living in denial. And - I started becoming an observer of reality. Now to you this may not anything special. But if you had spent your life living in fear of everything - this was invigorating. It changed my relationships with everyone in my life.

It was the first step in becoming a lovable human being. What a gift!

Your Life - Your Rules!

Namaste Speedo

Chase Your Potential Life Coaching

2010-04-21T17:43:00.000-07:00

Hi Guys!

I have spent the last few days putting together my coaching business.

I have a new business card, business flier and a plan for distribution. I am excited to get back into the coaching thinking once again. I have been doing a bit on the side but I haven't done any real personal promotion in quite a while. I feels great.

Anyway I will be covering some of the topics that my clients bring up weekly. The first one will cover the 12 Spiritual Principles that I discovered in the early 90's. They always keep me centered.

Honesty

Hope

Faith

Courage

Integrity

Willingness

Humility

Love

Discipline

Persistence

Consciousness/Awareness

Service

Practice one a day over the next 12 days and you will be amazed how it changes your life.

Your Life - Your Rules!

Namaste Speedo

New Energy

2010-04-15T13:25:00.000-07:00

Hey Folks

Yeah it's spring here in the Northwest. Today is beautiful and full of promise. I'm going on a bike ride this after noon as a reward for working on a couple of seminars.

Rewards are important. We give them to others so why not give them to ourselves.

I have been doing a lot of writing on seminars lately. It's really rewarding for me to continue to grow and put down my thoughts on paper. Self healing in a way. All that I know is that it works for me and manifests new people in my life whether I have know them for years or not. I grow and change so why not my old friends who are a similar path? Let me tell you they do too.

Well I just thought that I'd up date you a little. More later.

Who are you manifesting in your life?

Your Life - Your Rules!

Namaste Speedo

Paradoxes

2010-03-24T09:04:00.000-07:00

"One of the greatest paradoxes of your physical senses is that your eyes actually show you what you believe, not what you see."

This was sent to me the other day and it really strikes home for me.

When Captain Cook was sailing through the pacific on his explorations, some of the natives could not see his ships as they laid off anchor. They did not know that ships of that size existed. They couldn't believe their eyes. So without any exploration he was considered a God. That was the only answer that would satisfy what their eyes witnessed.

What all of this tells me - I see through my experiences. They are the basis of my beliefs. This defines my perceptions of reality.

I sometimes scoff to myself at others perceptions of reality. You may call this my judgement of them. It use to be. I was guilty of judging what others believed. I write this off to my immaturity. As I grew older and gained new experiences I became an observer of life. My reality expanded.

Today I am an observer of life. I am vulnerable to life's dances and dancers.

What do you believe? Do your judgements limit your reality? Become an observer and vulnerable to the endless dance be choreographed every day!

Your Life - Your Rules!

Namaste Speedo

Your Life-Your Rules! Seminars coming!!!!

2010-03-13T11:29:00.000-08:00

I have been neglecting my bless by being fearful of putting on my Your Life-Your Rules! seminars. I have recently been reenergized by friends in Wenatchee telling me that I need to share my eBook with others through by offering seminars.

I have contacted a partner to market it with me locally at first - then spreading out from there.

I am excited.

Maybe it's the Spring weather. I am not questioning it. I will let you know as it develops.

Your Life - Your Rules!

Namaste Speedo

Time Passes

2010-02-20T13:13:00.000-08:00

OMG - where has the second month of 2010 gone?

It seems that only a couple of days ago we celebrated 2010 and now it's almost March. Remember we have only 300 days until Christmas.

The sun is out and I have been riding every day of this week. It feels real good to get back in the saddle. I hope that spring is wonderful where you live. We have had an unusual winter. Not much snow this year. It could be real dangerous for the fruit crops if we get a real cold snap after the buds form, so they tell me.

Wenatchee has been real good for me. Health wise I am feeling better. Financially it's a struggle. But I have made wonderful friends up here. All is good. God hasn't brought me this far to drop me on my head. Faith and the ability to recognize his gifts and the power to take right action is the answer.

Where are you with your faith?

Your Life - Your Rules!

Namaste Speedo

Acceptance in Adversity

2010-01-12T18:49:00.000-08:00

Someone once said it is easy to be serene when everything is going your way - money in the bank, good job, loving relationship, close friends - I think that you know what I mean. But, the true test of serenity is when nothing is going your way. You are in the storm and it sucks. You're rowing up stream with one paddle. You're pushing the string and it folds under the pressure. Nothing is working. Are you still serene?

Most people fold. They lash out at everyone and everything. Everything they touch turns to mud - aka s&%t!

What is the difference? What I have found is it all breaks down to your level of acceptance. If you think that you have to approve of anything in order to accept it - well you might be walking through a lot of mud - and bringing the mud into your house, spreading it all over you loved ones.

I learned that Acceptance has absolutely nothing to do with approval. It is just reality for that moment. Nothing more and nothing less. It's NOW! No NOW! No NOW!

When I cannot accept someone or something at this moment, and I use this as an excuse to lash out and throw a tantrum - it's my serenity that suffers. Emotionally. Really all that I am at any time is a bundle of emotions. I have a choice how I choose to express them or not. This is the power that I have within my grasp.

For me, this was a difficult lessen to learn. It takes a lot of patience and practice. Don't give up on yourself. In this life, all we really have is love and emotional sobriety.

Your Life - Your Rules!

Namaste Speedo

2010 Full of Winners

2009-12-30T16:26:00.000-08:00

It the day before New Years Eve 2009!

I don't know about you but I keep kicking myself asking where did the decade go. It just flew past! As I look back in reflection - I have logged a number of life's experiences and lessons and came out the other end better, if not richer financially, for the journey.

I am in a good place mentally and spiritually! I am healthy. I am wiser. I am kinder. I am confident. I am . . . . . you can fill in the answer.

Now if I was to write this a week or two ago, I don't know if could claim to be as optimistic.

What changed? My attitude and belief in the gifts that await me in the new year. I have been practicing structured meditation to create my new abundant reality. I am prepared to receive everything that the universe has in store for me.

I have to admit that I have been the one who has been blocking my journey. I have been getting my health back and I have. But that journey cost me accepting oportunities that were place in front of me by my higher power. I physically did not believe that I was ready to move forward. I had forgot that God never places anything in front of me that I am not able to handle. And, he doesn't place in front of me anything less than I was able to handle.

Today I am welcoming everything and everyone that is on my personal journey. And, because as I look around and see the his abundance - I know that these wonderful gifts are waiting to avail themselves to me. All I need to do is believe that I have the power to accomplish anything.

So for me 2010 is creating a dynamo with the talents and energy to accomplish anything I desire. It's my intention. It's my attention.

What are you going to create for yourself in 2010? It is your's for the asking!

Your Life - Your Rules!

Namaste Speedo

Friday Music in Wenatchee

2009-12-11T17:45:00.000-08:00

I'm sitting in a small cafe waiting to do my favorite things - drinking espresso and listening to live original music. My buddy Rick Marrow is playing his original songs for a couple of hours. We have about 50 or so friends that might drop by. And then again it might be an intimate evening. Anyway it will be enjoyable.

We are cutting a cd to send to a couple of producers friends of my to see what they think. I will bet you know how it all turns out.

Your Life - Your Rules!

2009-09-01T13:48:00.000-07:00

I have been here in Wenatchee for 3 months now - where did the time go?

I had another appointment with my doctor and told him that I was feeling depressed. We talked about it and he suggested that I take some medicine for it. It has been about 6 hours and I notice my whole attitude and outlook on life has changed. Could it work that fast? Seems to that is all that I notice.

I am getting a little nervous about spending the winter here with the cold weather and snow that is bound to come. I have been snooping around for work - and I am not finding anything promising. But I will keep looking for the next week or so before I decide that to do. I know that the Desert is probably in the same condition as is the rest of the country. This wasn't in my plans - it is what it is.

I hope all is going great for you guys. Take a look at my facebook site for update - George Speed

Your Life - Your Rules!

2009-06-30T14:21:00.000-07:00

What a beautiful day!

I went hiking yesterday with (R to L) my sister and her son, Judy and Conner, and their friend Emily. Here's a picture to make you jealous. It was about 7:30 in the morning. We hiked to Saddle Rock that overlooks the Wenatchee Valley and the Columbia River.

I am really enjoying myself here.

Considering what I came up here for - this is more than I could have planned. We go cycling almost every morning on the 'River Loop' and now that I have added hiking - I have really tried to hike anything in 20 years - it kicked my butt to say the least - I am finding more energy. It could be a combination of medication and lifestyle change.

I am working hard on a new story/screenplay tentatively called 'Risk Everything'. Here's the logline. . . . A risk-adverse nerdy insurance agent must risk everything fighting a ruthless illegal smuggler to save a town and his lover.

It's a lot of fun to get back into the creative mode once again.

What are you doing for your creative side? Are you journaling daily? It works from me.

Your Life - Your Rules!

Namaste Speedo

Wenatchee - what the doctor ordered

2009-06-26T10:13:00.000-07:00

What can I say! It's such a refreshing change to have a system that really works - at least it works for me. Everyone here is so helpful and kind. I think that this is the way that it's suppose to be. CA is broken - and it won't get fixed in quite a while. Wenatchee was and is a good move for me.

I have found Face Book. I still don't know how to use all of its subtleties, but that will come in time. I interest about the degrees of separation. I am amazed how these networking sites work. I am running into people all the time. I guess that I am just a slow learner. In many areas, not just the Face Book.

Until I arrived here, I hadn't looked at all the iPhone Apps. Now I don't know why I didn't jump on them right away. There are a number that I use quite a few times each day. I found one that allows me to upload the files that I want to read on the go. I really like this one. Expenses. Face Book. Emails, Weather, this blog - I am mobile and loving it. Oh it helps to have a great signal and not as many iPhone/ATT users so the speed is great.

I have been bike riding with my sister on what they call the 'Loop'. 12 miles and the Columbia River spanned by 2 bike/walk/run bridges. Real cool! A lot different than riding along Hwy 111 with the traffic. Although that never really bothered me. Oh - no parked cars to run into either. A blessing.

So all in all I am counting my blessing and thanking god for my life.

How's your life going?

Your Life - Your Rules!

Namaste Speedo

Cell wars and more

2009-06-18T08:33:00.000-07:00

I updated my old 2G iPhone yesterday to the new 3.0 OS. I am impressed with everything that they promised. I am considering purchasing the new iPhone 3Gs phone at some time. For now all the features that I use and wished for have been answered.

Specially the 'cut and paste' feature. I now can take notes and past them into an email or cut a piece from an article into notes or email. Before I had to retype everything. What an improvement!

I am feel more at home here in Wenatchee as the days go by. The mornings are a lot cooler than I am use to though. High 50's around 7am versus mid 80's in the desert. Soon we will be at the summer equinox and the days will start getting shorts and cooler. I am wondering what the late summer and early fall will bring. But for now the high of mid 80's feels find and cool in the afternoon. The desert is suppose to hit triple digit this week and I do not miss that.

I have learned what it is like to live with a couple of teenagers. It's really the first time for me. I softened my opinions and comments as to what they should be doing. I wish that I had had this experience years ago. I grew in such a strict ' this is how it will be' home that I had forgotten that teenagers are just trying to get by. I use to take their actions as defiance. I never really learned how to share space in the home.

2009-05-05T18:50:00.000-07:00

I thought that I'd let you know what I've been going through.

Last week I had a colonoscopy done. They found a severe infection in my colon along with a 2 centimeter mass. They thought that they could control the infection with a week stay in the hospital they could go back in and take a biopsy. It didn't work!

They released me and scheduled me to return for another scope in about 2 weeks. Mentally, I am doing okay - it's still an adventure. But emotionally I am concerned about what the next step is.

They told me that the infection in the reason that my energy has been sapped for the last 5 months. Throughout this time I wanted to increase my coaching practice and pick up a couple of part-time jobs to see me through this. But, I have discovered without any energy I have not succeeded in either one.

I am here waiting to see what is next in my life. I do not believe that God tests any on us. I know for me that I turn to him when the chips are down. I am writing this as a cathartic prescription to total healing. I need this.

I thank you all for your positive input over the months.

Your Life - Your Rules!

Nasmaste Speedo

Respecting Commitments

2009-04-22T18:53:00.000-07:00

I am sitting here stewing over assuming that someone would do what they said they would do at a specific time.

I was brought up to keep my word and appointments. If something comes up, I was taught to call and make other arrangements - to communicate so the other party doesn't have to wonder what's going on. It's respectful. It's courtesy. It's the proper thing to do.

For two days my friend told me that he had an errand to run and would be right over. To me that means maybe 15 or 30 minutes - not unreasonable. The first day I wanted to know what time so I could make other plans to remain productive while I waited or to be ready because we wanted to squeeze in a visit to the hospital to comfort a friend. Two hours later he showed up and acted as if nothing was wrong.

The following day this same friend lead me to believe that he had an errand to run and would be right over to pick up something - maybe a 3 minute stop - and then he would be on his way. I prepared the items for pick up and waited. And waited. No call. 3 and a 1/2 hours later - still no word.

Since I was brought up by a man who based his livelihood and our families welfare from sales, (ie to be on time and prompt to close the sale) I feel totally disrespectful to not even - after a 1/2 hour to explain that he couldn't do it today.

I believe that we know at the time we make a commitment, appointment, that we know if we will do what we say we are going to do. It's not that difficult. I do not say yes unless I mean yes. I do not say no unless I mean no. Am I that unreasonable to expect the same thing from others? It seems that I was born on a different planet. . maybe they were.

Today people will tell you what they think you want to hear and then blow you off at their convenience.

How you do handle being blown off at an others whim? In business, to find someone who is trustworthy - specially in these economic times - standing out from the crowd, being respectful, communicating - means a lot.

Your Life - Your Rules!

Namaste Speedo

Totally Unreasonable??

2009-04-12T09:49:00.000-07:00

"It's not like you're being totally unreasonable. It's that no one - seems to be willing to see things your way. Now - Why might that be?"

I know that I can relate to the statement. I have to admit - I don't think that it's wrong to have our own opinions. I believe it's only human nature that our personal experiences color our beliefs and reactions to ideals and events. This is not to say that things can change with new current factual information or a new personal experience.

I have to look to see if I need to evolve in certain areas. As we all should do. Am I hanging onto beliefs out of traditions and habits? Am I so entrenched in my beliefs that I have become closed minded to others' opinions. I hope not.

I find that I need - yes this is a real need - to remain willing, honest and open-minded as I walk through my life daily. Any resistance to new ideas and I find myself clogged with suffering. What do I mean? From time to time I suffer from not allowing myself to become vulnerable to what life is presenting me. I become a director and not a participant in life. A sad state of affairs.

Can you relate to being closed off to vulnerability and the gifts that it brings? What can you do to open yourself up? Could it be entrenched fear left over from eons ago? It might be interesting to discover what you find when you take an honest, open-minded, willing look?

Your Life - Your Rules!

Namaste Speedo

Accepting Good-Bye

2009-04-03T16:49:00.000-07:00

I don't know why - but I have had a tough time accepting "good-bye and take care" from my last relationship. I guess it was because it wasn't my idea. Isn't that the way it goes.

Today I was able to close the door on it. I am so co-dependent when it come to relationships that it drives me - and them - nuts. I am working on it through men's group - 7-10 men that meet weekly for support and working the Coda steps. I have found relief.

I must add - it helps - but it doesn't totally relieve the pain of being rejected. What a demoralizing feeling. There really is nothing that you can do about but go through it.

I did get my guitar back and that helps. There is something about playing music that eases most of the pain. I have always turned to music when I go through losses. It is my way of grieving.

Writing helps too.

I wish her only happiness and love . . . the same as I wish for myself.

Your Life - Your Rules

Namaste Speedo

Honor Life

2009-04-03T09:01:00.000-07:00

I have been going through a number of changes in my life recently. What I have learned walking my path is I have to be vigilant in my approach to friends and strangers a like.

When circumstances affect my life style - relationship break-up or new, work changes - loosing or acquiring, health issues, personal loss - I have to remain optimistic and vulnerable to life and remain an observer to new opportunities placed in front of me.

Life is a constant change from this to that. Whether it's a good change or bad is up to the amount of resistance to change that envelops me. When I release my resistance I become willing to welcome a new life full of excitement and surprise my spirit shines and I meet your spirit.

Today I choose to let go of all my resistance that has been blocking my life. I release it and shout to the heavens "Next".

How do you choose to honor life today? Resistance is always followed by release - only we know how long it will take. I am responsible for my life and choices I make.

Your Life - Your Rules!

Namaste Speedo

Old Friends

2009-03-25T08:12:00.000-07:00

This morning I listened to a gal-friend tell me about a girlfriend that she has had for over thirty years and the struggles she's having watching her path in life. She told me that it breaks her heart to hear the denial and excuses that her friend gives for her destructive actions.

I ask her why does she choose to have her remain a close friend in her life? Her answer was the same answer that we give for keeping 'old friends' close to us - Loyalty to her friend.

I thought of what Erick Butterworth said (I paraphrase) - "The greatest harm we can do to ourselves or others is to keep them in our lives too long. We do not know when we meet someone whether they should remain in our lives 5 minutes or 50 years". When we hang on to people too long - we inhibit the wonderful experience of having some new soul walk into our lives full of surprise and delight.

I have been guilty of keep girlfriends, men, employers, whoever in my life to the point that they became a destructive influence to me. I dreaded their phone call or walking into work. Learning to 'let go' of them has given me the courage to create a vacuum so new positive influence, new jobs could enter my life.

It takes courage to set boundaries with old friends and employers. It takes courage to go through that 'empty scared' feeling of being alone. I have to garner the faith that I am doing what is best for 'my life'. It takes practice to risk that I am taking the right action for me.

Who are you hanging on to out of habit? Is your loyalty to yourself or others? Take an inventory of your "friends" and see what you find. I bet you will be surprised.

Your Life - Your Rules!

Namaste Speedo

My Knowledge v/s My Experience

2009-03-24T10:00:00.000-07:00

I was talking to a friend the other day and she told me that she understood what I was going through. I ask her to share her experience with me and to my surprise she told me that she had watched a friend go through what I'm going through. She added "It'll all work out just fine."

I watched 50 go by a number of years ago. When I was in my frustrating youth - 20's and 30's - I really thought that my knowledge would serve me just as well as experience. Boy was I wrong! The old saying "Don't judge anyone until you have walked in their shoes" comes to mind.

You just cannot replace experience with any amount of knowledge. Theory is wonderful, but it is not fact. You cannot undo a heartbreak unless you have had a big one yourself. Why? Because theory tells you the you will get over it. While Experience has shown you that it will take quite a while until you can pick yourself up and move on. It's the depth of your love for that person that can never be replaced no matter how many acquaintances you try on. If it's not there - it is not there.

The same goes for all life's lessons as wells as all relationships you might enter. Each one is unique and precious. No knowledge will replace the real experience. We can lean on the past but we need to stay vulnerable to the now and the future. Love is all there is!

What does your Knowledgetell you? What does your Experience tell you?

Your Life - Your Rules!

Namaste Speedo

Short Term Memory

2009-03-18T09:00:00.000-07:00

How long is your memory? Really!

Too long causes problems - I know. I have had t ability to hold on to memories - resentments - for way too long. They, so I thought, use to serve me well. I wouldn't allow 'that' to happen again or allow myself to taken advantage of by the same person or group.

What would happen to me if I became instilled with a short-term memory?

This really is an important question to explore. What I discovered was I became free to live my life instead of always holding onto 'wrongs' that I allowed to happen to me. Freedom to become vulnerable to life and all or its' surprises. What a gift!

Today I could no longer live with a long-term memory full of resentment, grudges, shuns. It would destroy the man that I have worked so hard to become.

How's your memory? What is it filled with? Is it stifling your outlook on today and the future?

Your Life - Your Rules!

Namaste Speedo

Are You Overwhelmed?????

2009-03-10T09:00:00.000-07:00

From time to time everyone gets overwhelmed. Have you figured out why? It turns out to be common scense after you figure out what the real cause is.

Most of us have a task list of "to do's" - written or mental - that we do not prioritize. When we attempt to do everything on the list we get burn out, tired or frustrated.

So the secret is to learn how to prioritize our list. Most of us do not have a system to prioritize. Without a system we randomly try to check off our list.

Here's a solution system to prioritizing your list.

1. List the projects you want to complete.

2. Rank the projects by ROI and RISK or MOST IMPORTANT to LEAST IMPORTANT.

In business - how much $$$ is each one worth? What is the probability of success?

In your personal life - have-to's and can put-off to another day.

"Timebox" your tasks. How much time should it take you to complete any given task? You will know just by looking at the list. For longer more involved tasks, be sure to give yourself enough time to complete them. Don't skimp - this is the reason that you become overwhelmed in the first place. Be honest with yourself. For big projects, try to give yourself a minimum of 2 weeks to a month. This will allow you to be distracted by interruptions that do crop up in our busy lives without feeling added pressure.

If you have a long term goal, try to spend 'x' hours a day or week on reaching that goal. Most goals are not meant to be accomplished in an hour or a day. They are something that we are striving to gain or become. Give yourself enough time. This is very important to remember.

What does your list look like? Some people organize 'sticky notes' on the refrigerator or wall. Reorganizing them as they are completed. This is kind of a liquid task listing.

Your Life - Your Rules!

Namaste Speedo

Days of Whine and Focus?

2009-02-26T10:00:00.000-08:00

I read a friend's blog (blakesnyder.com - the link is listed) now and then to keep up with my fellows in the screenwriting community. From time to time I skim through the archives to see what I've missed. My inspiration for today's blog came from Blake's January blog "What's your focus."

What's your focus is an important question today. We all need to check our focus daily. Otherwise we, I, get lost in all the "issues" that we get bombarded with through news, work, kids, neighbors - really everything that surrounds us on a daily basis.

It is so easy to become a "whiner" and a victim. I have to remember that I am responsible for my life and the decisions that I make. I need to make conscious appraisals and decisions based on facts. I need to be honest with what I see coming down the road and adjust my "life's budget" accordingly. If I do not - I will be lost in deluded thoughts and excuses asking "what just happened?" I cannot afford to live my life that way.

So - the most important issue that we can focus on is our family. We are responsible for keeping our family - those living under our roof - safe and secure. Our friends and adult children are responsible for their families too.

Next, if we are self-employed, we need to focus on what is important - that is to keep our doors open. We have to work smart. We need to learn to be prudent in all our decisions. If we are a small business with employees, we have hard choices to make. We cannot live in the delusion that next week will magically be better. Customers are slow to pay in times like this. You still have hard fixed costs to cover and we still need to look out for our families - #1. We cannot take security and food out of our families mouths to save our employee's families. It's a tough call, but they are responsible for the security of their families by being good stewards in their financial world. And - deep down inside they understand this.

Next, if we work for someone as their employee, we have to become realistic to what is going on. I choose to become proactive and ask how secure they are? What do they predict the future holds for them. Then, armed with that knowledge, I take it home and talk to my family about what's going on. It does no one any good to pretend that everything is just fine. All this does is build resentment and stress. This is not being an alarmist

If I focus on becoming a professional in my life. If I can be completely honest with my family. We have a wonderful opportunity to ride this adventure with grace together.

Being a professional - I must allow my family members to be scared and walk through their fears with them. Together and only together can we love and work as a complete family unit.

Where's your focus today? It takes courage to become the professional in your life.

Your Life - Your Rules!

Namaste Speedo

Seeing Clarity

2009-02-19T08:33:00.000-08:00

"Do you know what clarity is Speedo? Don't answer. . . . I'll tell you. . . . It's when the obvious becomes apparent!".

This confrontation happened about 20 years ago - and it still resonates today. Fritz was an ex-jockey raised in the brownstone neighborhoods of Chicago. Fritz never minced words.

There are times in my life when I get lost in a situation. I make all sorts of excuses for the reason I find myself struggling for an answer. What I have lost really is my ability to stand back and take an observer's look in order to assess what is really going on. I have lost my ability to gain clarity.

I know that I am not the only one to struggle with this. It doesn't matter if it involves financial, relationships, work - whatever. We all loose clarity at times. No one has the right answers all the time.

This is when I need a mentor or friend that I trust to bounce this off of. He or she is able to take a step back, uninvolved and tell me what they see. It really is a visual thing. They see me struggling and how it is effecting my life. If I am able to be honest, they are able to see the events that lead up to my crisis. They are able to see the actions I must take in order for me to regain my Emotional Sobriety. Now it's up to me to find the courage to take the actions.

People have written about the use of mentors ever since man began to walk up-right - and maybe before. 12 step programs rely heavily on the use of sponsorship in their recovery programs.

Do you have a mentor or sponsor to bounce things off? It works!

Your Life - Your Rules!

Namaste Speedo

The Key to Happiness

2009-02-19T05:30:00.000-08:00

I never use to ask for what I wanted. I expected people to act like I did. I would observe and respond with the appropriate gift, kind deed, project the right thing to do for them - read their minds or look into my crystal ball. All this brought me was frustration - wondering why nobody seemed to be able to read my mind. So it had to lead to my resenting friends, parents, sibling, etc.

What happened? I had to learn to forgive people for not reading my mind. I had to take a risk and ask for what I wanted in life, and that took courage and a lot of practice. I am still a little uncomfortable asking - but I practice daily.

The next thing I had to change in my life was to learn to ask people what they wanted in their life from me. I could no longer assume anything - I took this to the extreme at first, but again with practice I became more comfortable.

Am amazing thing happened to me - I became less judgemental and kinder to others. Now, I'm not trying to present my transformation is anywhere near perfect, but there has been a lot of progress.

The hardest place to practice this is with loved-ones, long-time friends and family. All I can say is I have built up a number of habits with these people and I have to remain conscience when I am around them. Most of the time my sarcasm is the weapon that I throw out attempting to be funny. It never works - I usually have to make an amends immediately and hope for some forgiveness.

What I have discovered is forgiveness begins first at home - then I can take it out into the streets. I use to tell people that I am not being judgemental - just a keen observer. What a crock! All I was doing was dressing judgements in a disguise - it gave me an excuse to be critical of everyone. I had to learn to appreciate the path that strangers, friends, loved-ones and family were on.

Today I try to walk in forgiveness and to be non-judgemental to everyone I meet. It's a struggle at times - but the reward is serenity and emotional sobriety. It allows me to create better relationships wherever I go. I compromise my ego and celebrate my fellows I meet as our paths cross.

Maybe our paths will cross. Forgiveness is my key to happiness.

Happiness is the result of practice.

Your Life - Your Rules!

Namaste Speedo

Life is Uncertain

2009-02-18T10:00:00.000-08:00

Life is fleeting. Uncertain.

Now that being said - I want to ask you a question: Do you act on your insecurities? Do you take risks to better your life? Do you Chase Your Potential and Dreams?

I had to learn to overcome my fears to live the life that I want. I am not completely there yet, but I am a whole lot closer to achieving my dreams than before. What do I have to loose?

I use to try something half-heartily and when I failed - I thought that it wasn't meant to be. I thought that I wasn't good enough to achieve my goal. I'd loose my focus and fear would raise its ugly head breathing smoke to disguise my successes. I'd loose my patience with my progress, get frustrated and look for something else to quince my desires. Not usually to best course for success.

I had to find a way to quit my limiting beliefs and go for the gusto. In these uncertain times we, I, really need to get rid of my limiting beliefs. None of us can afford to sabotage ourselves. But how do we Stop?

I had to find the courage to "Keep Swimming" as they said in Finding Nemo. Another saying is "Keep on Truckin" or "Act as If" - I'm sure that you can find a mantra that fits your personality. In short, I need to be vigilant in my efforts to succeed.

We live in financially stressful times. This cannot be ignored. I need to be prudent and become a good steward of my money. Also, I need to be a good steward of my time and efforts. I have taken a hard assessment of my time management skills. I discovered that I needed to make some changes. These are in the process.

I have begun to demand more of myself. Maximum effort. Failure is not an option. It doesn't mean that it won't occur - It just means that I focus on the rewards of success. It is the fuel that drives my efforts.

Life may be too short - but it is my life and I need to make the most of the time that I have. I choose to spend more time with those I love. Share what I have with others. Continue to become a positive influence in the lives of the people I meet. And Chase My Dreams.

What are you doing today to sweeten your life? Are you making the most of what you have? Your dreams are within reach - they're your dreams!

Your Life - Your Rules!

Namaste Speedo

Looking for Potential

2009-02-17T10:20:00.000-08:00

I was thumbing through a magazine the other day at the barber shop and came across an article about New Year's resolutions. It talked about instead of lamenting and assessing what we had not accomplished on our 08 Resolution list, why not take a hard assessment of their potential success for 2009.

This stopped me in my tracks. True. For most of us, including me, I tend to look at the items still left to accomplish as failures. I never look at the potential that I can carry over to my new list.

So this year I am assessing what goals I had on my 08 list that I did not accomplish, but have the potential for completion this year. I was surprised.

One of the goals that did not get accomplished was working out seminars and speaking on Serenity Rules, Emotional Sobriety and Surviving Stressful Times. I wrote a while back about my invitation to join Business Relationship Program. By this invitation alone, I accomplished this big goal. Or at least I have the potential to accomplish this goal.

Another one of my goal for 08 was to create another income stream of $15,000/mo. The potential for this goal is close at hand. By joining BRP, I have the potential to achieve this goal. In fact, I may have to reevaluate this figure upward.

One more goal was to pick up 4 coaching clients per month. Again, by joining BRP I have the potential achieve this goal. In fact, I may have to reevaluate this goal.

By doing this exercise I have an entirely new outlook on my goal list. Instead of kicking myself about what I did not accomplish - I now have a tool to turn perceived failures into potential successes.

What about you? What items on your list have you kicked yourself over? Can you turn any of these from failure to accomplish to potential successes? I bet you can.

Your Life - Your Rules!

Namaste Speedo

Attractiion and Action

2009-02-16T09:46:00.000-08:00

So much has been written on this subject - I felt that I was being left out. So here's my 2 cents. It works! I could end this blog right now - but my fingers are warmed up.

The Secret. The Art of Visualization. You'll See it when You Believe It. Creating the Life You Want. Materialization. The Law of Attraction. Etc. Etc.

None of this is new. They were preaching and writing about attraction thousands of years ago. Nothing has changes except for the new generation that hasn't been exposed to this "New Thought". It is reexamined every few years now - I wonder if we owe it to the internet? Possibly. But it still is a great message. "As you think - you will become". Or something like that.

We attract what we think about. Sometimes it screams at us through our friends. Other times it is demonstrated through situations we find ourselves in. And still other times is materializes through an epitome. No matter how it is demonstrated - it is up to us to recognize what's going on and find the courage to take action. Action is the real secret.

Do I Think my way into right Action? Or, Do I Act my way into right Thinking? Can they be separated?

People who deem themselves as profound "thinkers" will argue that thinking always precedes actions. But I can show you people who spend so much time in their heads they never get anything done. They talk about what they are going to do, but mostly they never get anything done.

Now there are people who are into action. Sometimes, to the observer, they act without thinking. These people are doers. They are the ones who build things. They are the ones who end up building successful businesses. They are the inventors. They are the innovators. They never worry about what would happen if they fail. They revel in reward of success. Failure is a part of success.

So if you are not getting what you think about - try adding more action into your recipe. You will be surprises at what you attract.

What are you attracting today? Is it really what you want?

Your Life - Your Rules!

Namaste Speedo

Marking time

2009-02-12T08:43:00.000-08:00

How do you measure things?

Money is good but all too fleeting and the last couple of months have shown us. Accomplishments are milestones too, but there is always another one. Birthdays seem to be generally accepted by most folks. Runners measure in either distance or time. Salespeople measure in deals closed that lead to commission dollars. Teenagers use friends or groups for their markers. Kids I remember use toys accumulated. Mothers use ages and success of their kids. Men use acquiring stuff or affiliations.

Now the one thing all of the above have in common is that it takes time to measure anything. Whether you use money, things, distance, accomplishments - I believe they all represent a time frame of sorts.

I'm not big on New Year's as a marker of time. I use birthdays or anniversaries. I just seems more personal to me. I can gage where I was before and where I am at now.

I look at my goals list to see what has been accomplished and what needs to be added to this years goal list. Sometimes I surprise myself and see a goal that is no longer important to me. I strike it of the list, but not before reflecting why I put it on the list in the first place. Sometimes I crack myself up at my reasoning.

How do you measure time?

Your Life - Your Rules!

Namaste Speedo

Yen and Yang

2009-02-10T19:32:00.001-08:00

Oh my goodness!

I have been sitting on this blog for a few days now. It important to let "things" peculate for a while so they can find a voice of their own. This is one of those times.

I learned from my doctor that they have narrowed it down to one of three possible diseases: 1) Cancer of the colon; 2) Colitis; or 3) Crohn's disease. They will not be able to narrow it down until I go through a colonoscopy. They will schedule it as soon as there is an opening. This is just another adventure.

Okay. Here's the flip side. I have been invited to join a national speakers bureau, Business Relationships Program, based out of Atlanta. They received a copy of my ebook "Serenity Rules: Your Life - Your Rules!" about a year a go. They really liked that I had a book and a workbook already written. They want to put a package together made up of DVD's; Inter-active Internet site; Infomercial.

It's what I always wanted to do. In fact, I started down the seminar road about three years ago before I became ill the first time - mis-diagnosis. Now I get to join forces with BRP and develop a complete program for businesses - small and corporations. It will be a lot of fun. I am really excited to be working with BRP.

What Yen and Yang do you have going on in your life? I'd love to hear about it.

Your Life - Your Rules!

Namaste Speedo

Simple Secret to Success

2009-02-04T11:19:00.000-08:00

Here's a simplistic formula to achieving success that I found reading a column on becoming a better writer. It is the same for any profession.

It said that first you have to be good at what you do. Not earth-shaking information. Next it said that you never stop learning. Taking classes, reading articles and books, talking to others in the same profession, networking - I think that you get the point. And next, keep working in your profession - don't give up.

Too many of us venture in and out of "trendy professions" hoping to be successful without committing time and energy to becoming better and better. We become stagnant, frustrated and then we change our focus to something new.

Every successful person found something that they enjoyed doing, stuck it out through challenging time and continued to become better. Tiger Woods has a lot of talent fueled by hours of practice in his early years. Today as the world's best golfer - he keeps challenging himself to become better. Why? He wants to remain the world's best golfer. He has a number of professionals on his staff to coach him so that he remains number 1.

What are you doing to better yourself? Do you have a coach?

Your Life - Your Rules!

Namaste Speedo

Worry and Time

2009-02-03T10:20:00.000-08:00

I read this this morning and it really hits home.

"Worry and Time have an inverse relationship - The more you worry the less time you have. The more time you have the less you worry!"

I am headed back to the hospital to have my tests read or at least shared with me. I don't know what will happen. They will say one of three things: 1) I have X,Y or Z; 2) I need more tests to figure out what's going on; or 3) They don't know what's going on - they can't find anything.

I have to admit that I look at this as an adventure, that's what our lives really are. A life, human adventure between being Spirit.

I am lucky. I have a lot of people who are truly concerned about me and keep my in their prayers. I believe that prayer works, specially when we are in other's prayers.

So - we will see what happens this afternoon.

Your Life - Your Rules!

Namaste Speedo

Staying Where Our Feet Are!

2009-02-02T08:15:00.000-08:00

I was talking with a friend this morning about the Super Bowl. He told me that it was great. There was no "drama" in the room to disrupt the game.

Then he went on to tell me about his 16 year old son who is on probation with stipulations. He's messing up. He's not doing anything the court ask him to do. And it's driving my friend nuts.

He's loosing sleep, weight and because his wife is making excuses for their son's actions - he is alone with his concerns. He's tried simple reminders of the consequences for not following the court's direction - it doesn't phase his son.

I reminded my friend that the hardest thing that we as parents can do is nothing. At 16, his son is responsible, in the court's eyes, for his actions. It is his choices that got him into trouble in the first place and it seems that he is choosing to go down the road to self-destruction. No amount of love and worry can change that. It's sad to watch this. But we have to get to the point of accepting that it his son's choice - today.

I ask my friend if he can practice this simple exercise - try to stay where your feet are, just for now. It wont change what choices his son is making - but it will give him a little peace.

What is the drama going on in your life? Can you do anything to change it? If so, take the action. If not, practice staying where your feet are to find some peace.

Your Life - Your Rules!

Namaste Speedo

Alienation Revealed

2009-01-30T10:15:00.000-08:00

First -I want to urge you to go see "Slumdog Millionaire". It's wonderfully written and directed. A sure winner.

***********
A friend of mine was talking about his son asking him what Kafka's "Metamorphosis" was about. His take was that the main character ends up killing himself over feeling alienated. My heart stopped and I took one of those revealing deep breathes. I have felt that way all of my life.

Real or perceived - alienation permeates society. Ours and everyone around the world.

Here's my take on how we become alienated. . . . It's just my observation for what it's worth.

Initially - I believe to starts at home for most of us. When those who are suppose to love and protect us as children - pull away their physical and emotional love we are left alone. Fear begins to exist everywhere and we - human beings - blame ourselves as the reason we are being discarded. After a period of months or years we fall into the fight or flight syndrome. We strike out at everyone and everything because we do not want to feel the pain of being rejected.

I know this is really simplistic - I am not a psychologist - it just seems to be the logical evolution of how I felt alienated.

For me, it was more physical love being withdrawn than emotional love. I knew my parents loved me emotionally - but physical love was not part of my family dynamic as I recall my childhood. I just seemed to stop playing with any physical contact from my parents or siblings. After physical contact was removed - I believe I stopped laughing that gut level laughter that kids experience. Maybe the lack of laughter made me feel alienated? Life became too serious.

I know that when I get scared in a relationship - real or preceived, alienation raises its ugly head. I pull away to protect myself. I know that this is the major cause of my last heartbreak. I am so sorry that I did not have the courage to laugh more. Forgive me.

What's your alienation factor? Laugh more! They are not doing this to us - Love is the answer.

Your Life - Your Rules!

Namaste Speedo

Humanity Reveals Spirit

2009-01-24T09:47:00.000-08:00

I have been having a number of conversations about Spirituality over the recent weeks. Some people are scared of the thought of spiritual teachings. Others are searching from the magic potion that would instantly give them more Spirituality. Confusing?

Okay here goes my beliefs on this subject. I have resided in both camps throughout my life. Fearful and searching.

Today I believe that we are born of the spirit and that never leaves us. It's still there with all the wonder and magic - our spirit is just along for a ride through this human adventure we call life. I can't pretend to know what it is doing or thinking while we do the crazy antics we humans go through on a daily basis - but it is still there all the same.

I can remember chewing on the Eastern teachers telling me that this is the way to spirituality. Meditate. Prayer. Go on retreats. Change my diet. Change from briefs to boxers. I don't know but I bet that you have traveled along this highway. All it did for me was to challenge me to walk through life in a confusing trance.

Then there were periods in my life where I was the opposite. Lost in the rat race of acquiring material "things" so that I looked like I had it all together. Guess what? This didn't work either.

Over the last 15 years I have discovered that we can't be any more spiritual than we were at birth. I read on the back slip cover of a Wayne Dyer book "We are not human being trying to become more Spiritual - We are Spiritual beings trying to become more Human." or something like that. How do I become more human?

For me it took finding my God of my understanding, meditation and prayer - in order to give me the courage to be more human - not to become more Spiritual. When I'm practicing a code of principles based in love and service - my spirit shines through and connects with your spirit. We have a spiritual connection that crosses all barriers. In that moment of kindness spirit is expressed. It's magic.

What are your thoughts? It works for me.

Your Life - Your Rules!

Namaste Speedo

Great Thought

2009-01-23T08:58:00.000-08:00

"When in doubt, show up early. Think Less. Feel more. Ask once. Give thanks often. Expect the best. Appreciate everything. Never give up. Make it fun. Lead. Invent. Regroup. Wink. Chill. Smile. And live as if the success was inevitable, and so it shall be. . . . "

I read this the other day and it really made me stop and think about what is going on with me and my health adventure.

My exhaustion has been pulling me down into a depression. I do not like it. I tried to ride my bike the other day and found myself grateful that I could make it a couple of miles - I did pay for it though when I got home.

This adventure - which is how I look at it - is nothing compared to what I have seen others walk through. It's just that it is new to me and I did not ask for this. I want my old energy driven life back. I know that I will get there one day - but not today.

I give thanks to all the people I know who wish me well. It means more to me than they know.

Re-read the above quote. It made me rethink my lot at this time.

Your Life - Your Rules!
Namaste Speedo

Belief and Faith

2009-01-17T11:57:00.000-08:00

I was sitting around talking with some friends when the subject of Belief and Faith came up.

Belief to me is when I, with or without any experience on my own, think something is true. Now by stating that I lack experience it doesn't mean that I do not have knowledge - studied, learned or pass on to me by my elders. By believing, I have taken some one's word or experience as my own. It remains true to me until I have some personal experience of my own.

Faith to me is when I take that belief - and through a personal experience of my own -I know that it is true. My belief has become faith. I can rely on whatever to work, materialize, manifest, etc. every time. Maybe not in my time - but it will happen. To me that is Faith

For some reason I needed to express my thoughts on belief and faith.

What is your experience? Do you believe? Do you have faith? It's your choice.

Your Life - Your Rules!

Namaste Speedo

********

I have added a new link for you to take a look at.

Kindness - Cycle it Forward

I met Brock Tully recently though our love of cycling. Only Brock has taken it far beyond any where I wish to take my riding at this point in my life. Brock has twice ridden around the country - 12,000 miles - promoting Kindness through talking to kids, church groups and gathering of like minded people. I think you will enjoy his site. Speedo

Checking in for 09

2009-01-07T10:18:00.000-08:00

Hi guys - I can't believe that it has been 60 days since I checked in to let you know what's been going on with me and my thoughts on things.

Thanksgiving. Hanukkah. Christmas. New Years. Not to mention a lot of just life has passed through our time portal.

I have to mention the world lost a wonderful soul on December 17th. Joseph Cohen, 25. Joey was one of those unique souls who was funny, brilliant, creative, sensitive, loving, energetic young man who followed the beat of his own drummer. I loved him dearly. No matter how I tried - Joey was always Joey. Joey had that rare gift of being able to touch friends and strangers alike with his grace. He is survived by his many friends, his mother Tina and sister Rachel. God Bless you Joey and all who knew and loved him. I will miss hearing about his successes in his life.

The main reason for my absence is I have been extremely ill. They still don't really have a handle on what is going on with me - it's a slow prolonged process. I loss the use of my left arm for about 6 weeks - it's just now becoming usable for typing. They can't explain what happened.

The rest of my illness deals with my constant anemia that I have struggled with for over a decade. I am going through a lot of tests so the verdict is still out. I just suit up and show at the appointed time and let the professionals do what they are trained to do. I am pretty tired most of the time and that causes me to really miss riding my bicycle throughout my beautiful desert. As I find more out I will keep you informed.

Pearls of Wisdom - they escape me today - here's my mantra "Breath in . . . Breath out! It works for me.

Your Life - Your Rules!
Namaste Speedo

Your Personal Code to Live By

2008-11-14T10:05:00.000-08:00

I was thinking about the world that we are living in today. It's a lot different than let's say the 1940's or 1950's in more ways that just the instant messaging, the internet, cell phones, etc.

Looking back to those days of yester-year, there was a code of conduct and ethics that I see missing today in so many influential areas of our lives. In TV and movies - the good-guys with white hats always won. We fought for God, Country and the American way of life. We said the pledge of allegiance in schools. Our news reports never buddied around with the people they were suppose to investigate. We had real heroes in our lives. Now maybe this is a little simplistic, but . . . . ?

When I look at our world and it's leaders, local and international news makers, TV and movie stars, grade schools and colleges - ah heck everything, I had to notice one thing that is glaring. We have no heroes to identify with. Really! Who are your heroes that you admire?

When I take my own inventory of heroes - I find it really lacking in substance. Why is that? Is it because I know too much about them? Is it because the way that I define a hero has changed over the years? I had a hard time putting a finger on it.

Growing up my father was my hero until I went to work for him and discovered that his feet were had of clay, just like mine. My movie star heroes turned into drunken wife beaters? My news reporters who I based my political opinions have become celebrity's in their with little objectivity and more public relation mouth-pieces. My industrial leaders have turned into greedy industrial unethical tyrants.

It's not that things and people have changed - it's through years of advertising and marketing campaigns that have molded me into a non- thinking idiot . . . I have discovered I need to re-develop my code of life lifeboat to survive our world today.

I have a code of principles today that I have tried to live by for the past 15 years. It has aided me to walk through the personal struggles, financial struggles and spiritual struggles that we all face.

When the world looks bleak with no relief in sight, I rely on my faith that all will work out and I take some positive action and trust the outcome.

So I ask you . . . what are the principles that guide your life? I hope your personal code to living life is more than just an advertising or marketing campaign. You deserve the best.

Here'a an exercise for you. Make a list of your heroes. Take a look at what they represent. Then make a list of the principles you live your life by today. You will thank me later.

Your Life - Your Rules!
Namaste Speedo

The Dr Phil Show

2008-11-07T16:51:00.000-08:00

******* UPDATE Friday November 14th Ch 2 CBS 3pm

I just learned that if you want to watch or record Jane and her daughter ( I changed the names) they're on Dr Phil today. . . . Sorry I just learned this. Channel 2 CBS in the Valley at 3pm.

*******

Here is the latest up date on Jane and her entitled daughter and their visit to the Dr. Phil Show. Jane was brought onto the set after her daughter had a chance to tell her tale of abuse.

Dr. Phil opened up the dialog by echoing her daughter's frightful tale of being asked to pay rent after 6 years of rent free living in the house. Jane corrected him by telling the truth that rent was always expected - except her daughter always had an excuse for not paying it. This went on through a litany of ploys by her daughter which finally ended with her daughter saying that she did not want Jane in her life any longer.

To that Dr. Phil replied that she was adult and could choose who was in her life. And, to Jane, he said that she should back away and stay out of their lives. In short, Dr. Phil told her daughter to grow and take care of herself and her family. Dr Phil then said that he had 2 adult children, 25 and 30, who are financially independent.

Dr Phil said this is one of the saddest programs that he's done since it takes two people to have any type of relationship and only one to ruin the chances of having one.

Jane had hoped that Dr Phil would send them to Therapy, but with only Jane wanting the relationship he could do anything.

There was a lot of juicy things that went on but I choose not to bore you. The bottom line is once our kids become adults - they are adults. No matter how much we want them to remain our children. We have to let them grow through the bumps of life. Just like we had to do. Money never fixes anything - it just delays our kids financial maturity. It's a lesson. That's all it is. It's never punishment.

Bravo Jane - you are my hero. I feel sorry that it didn't work out the way you wanted. But. you will put this behind you and get on with your life. Happy - Healthy - and in Love.

Your Life - Your Rules!

Namaste Speedo

When do we help our Adult Kids?

2008-11-04T12:00:00.000-08:00

I got a call from an old friend today who wanted to wish me happy birthday and apologize for not sending me a card. I told her that was fine I didn't expect anything that her call was sweet. Then she went on to tell me about Peter, her son, and his Medical battle for the last 2 months.

26 and full of energy coupled with a great wit that was always followed by a lengthy explanation. He really is fun, just young. Peter called her in August telling her that he can hardly talk and he was scared. She drove into LA to pick him and take him to the emergency room back here in the Valley.

She was conflicted since she has been working a codependency program, but she picked him up. Her brothers told her to play tough love - that he could get himself to the doctors. Her son has had a history of drug abuse but he's been sober for 2 1/2 years.

At the emergency room they discovered a golf ball sized growth on his vocal chords. She made an appointment with a ENT specialist for the next day. They scheduled to remove it the following day and to check him out with a CRT of his neck, throat and chest just to be safe. A few days after the surgery, the doctors told him that they found a "spot" in his thyroid.

After biopsies they determined that it was early cancer and took out half he thyroid. Yesterday he went back into the operation theater to remove the rest of his thyroid.

They told her that more than likely, because it was determined to be a slow growing cancer, noting would have developed until his 50's when it could have been fatal. So told me that had she not drove him to the doctors - listening to her brothers - he could have died.

I reminded her that she is number one his mother. We check things out before we jump to conclusions. Had this been just another drug-addicts slip, she had the tools to ask the 3 questions: Do you have a problem with Drugs? Do you want to stop? Do you want to go to a meeting? An answer of "No" to any one of these questions she would have had to walk away.

But first you have to discover what is going on. He honestly had lost his voice. He did need the help of a specialist. Being a mother is not necessarily being codependent. We help our kids when they ask us for our help. We do not jump in and rescue them.

I told her that she has enough recovery not to ask her brother for advise. And to ask herself why she thinks she needs their permission. Trust what she has learned and work with other recovered women as her support system.

God bless them both - they are very dear to my heart.

Your Life - Your Rules!
Namaste Speedo

So you want to have Kids!

2008-11-04T10:30:00.000-08:00

As I am writing this - Jane and her daughter are over in LA taping the Dr. Phil Show.

Jane was so emotional from the Friday interview that she decided to drive up to her other son's house to spend the weekend with his wife and the new twins. She'd had enough stress in her life and she really just wanted to get away and play with the babies. Great plan - right?

Well it was a great plan up until the time her son reminded her of the time he chose to go live with his dad after the divorce. He told her every fear, broken promise, abandonment issue that he felt he was entitled to dump on her . . . oh he's around 40 years old.

She listened until it really got abusive then she told him to stop. They got into a heated discussion that lasted for a couple of hours when Jane finally realized that she had had enough.

Jane told me that she has decided to cut off contact with all of her kids - there is a middle son also. She is tired of carrying around all of their hurt and verbal abuse that they believe they have a right to dump on her. "I just want to be left alone to live my life. I have spent the last 40 years trying to love and live their lives - attempting to make it easier for each of them. Enough!"

Bravo Jane. I don't' know what it takes for parents to realize that our job is the raise our kids until they become responsible adults. And if they do not become responsible adults - I believe that it is up to us to cut them free - leave the nest so to speak - so they can learn how to become responsible adults. The longer we wait - the more guilt we take on when we finally do close the door.

It's hard to cut them off and watch them struggle . . .but like Jane, I bet you tried it the other way and you're suffering the same abuse. You've tried giving them another chance to no avail.

I really feel for Jane - I've known her for 20 years and she is a kind, gentle, funny, loving, generous woman. She deserves better.

I told her not to worry about Dr Phil . . . it's entertain for him, his viewers and the audience. They want a show. I think he's a softer, gentler Jerry Springer.

One last thing . . the Producer asked Jane what she hoped would come from all this "I just want to have a loving relationship with my daughter" was her reply.

When the same Producer ask her daughter she replied - "I want Dr Phil to show her what an evil bitch she's been to me".

I guess that says it all.

Your Life - Your Rules!
Namaste Speedo

Update - Jane and Her Adult Daughter

2008-10-30T11:00:00.000-07:00

A few months ago I posted a blog about Change - Do It Now! . . here is the update. . . . .

As I sit here writing this Jane is being interview by the producer's for the famous Dr. Phil Show. Yep! He must be the only one who can sort this out. Lord help us!

Her daughter - is still feeling that she is entitled to live off the kindness and financial gifts from her mother. Finally, because of the financial climate, her mother suggested that she and her family move in with her so she could find a paying tenant (She did with a credit rating of 768!). Remember that she and her married family hadn't paid any rent in her mother's rental property for nearly 6 years - once more got abusive toward her calling her every name and shouted, "Why don't you call Dr. Phil? He will tell you how abusive and cruel you've been to me and your grand kids and . . . "

Jane told her to stop and decided to email Dr. Phil. She told him her side of the story, leaving nothing out from the gifts, cars, free rent , presents, babysitting, abusive name calling . . everything that transpired since her adult daughter and family moved into her rental house.

Her daughter, now 30, gets interviewed this afternoon. . . hmmmmm! To be a fly on that wall. I love to hear how the abused entitled adult children relate their story of pain to anyone who will listen. Great fodder for future stories.

I don't know when this segment will be aired but I will keep you informed.

Your Life - Your Rules!
Namaste Speedo

The Eleventh Hour

2008-10-16T11:00:00.000-07:00

Why do most things resolve themselves in the Eleventh Hour?

I have done some self-examination and found that throughout my life, my prayers are seldom answered before the eleventh hour. Why does it work out this way? Or does it?

I have a observation that might ring a bell with you.

Could it be that no matter what the situation is - I accept whatever it is that I have been asking for at what seems the eleventh hour? In reality, it actually could be the 3rd or the 7th hour, but in my space and time - to me it just seems like the eleventh hour. Okay this may seem like a weird conclusion but hang with me.

Let's say that I am looking for more money to come in. I put it out there to the universe and wait for an answer. Immediately someone offers to buy me lunch and discuss what's going on with them. I choose to look at this as just "lunch" - but it really is money coming to me in the form of lunch that I do not have to buy. Then a few days later, someone wants to go to the mall and I get a certificate for whatever. Again the universe is trying to fulfill my desire - yet I choose to not see this certificate as money because I don't want to save $20 on something I don't want or need.

So I once again ask the universe to increase my income. This time the universe answers by my employer asking me to work a couple of extra hours overtime. Again my request is being answered by the universe.

What I am concluding is that the universe is continually attempting to fulfill my request for more "money". It never fails. What is failing is my ability to recognize these gifts are answers to my request.

The universe is always trying to fulfill my requests. It always has and always will.

Here is the secrete - I have to learn to ask better, more specific questions if I want more specific results.

I am in the process of building up my Coaching business. I have asked the universe to bring me 20 people to experience one of my coaching sessions over the next 30 days to see if coaching will work for them. My goal is to pick up 5 clients who commit to hiring me as their coach in the next 30 days.

In short - my eleventh hour experience may just be that it takes me that long to become specific about what I want the universe to provide. It has nothing to do with the eleventh hour and everything to do with the time it takes me to find the courage to formulate and ask for what I want.

What do you want in your life? Formulate a request and be specific. It always works. . . . !

Your Life - Your Rules!
Namaste Speedo

Ask Better Questions

2008-10-13T16:00:00.000-07:00

Years ago I took Tony Robbins' course "Personal Power". I enjoyed the heck out of it. For about 6 months I took Tony's philosophy and tried my best to change my life. It worked - but I stopped working the program and fell back into some old more comfortable habits.

One of the main elements from that course that I use today is learning to ask better questions. Tony said if you want to lead a better life - learn to ask better questions.

Today it more important than ever to ask better questions of ourselves. Most of us have witnessed all of the gains that we experienced since 2002 be wiped out in a couple of weeks. Now we have a choice: We can sit and be pissed off at what might have been or we can ask what can I do to move forward to re-coop unfulfilled dreams.

This is a unique opportunity to build a base of business. To do that we have to understand how our potential market has been fragmented and present alternatives to sticking our collective heads in the sand - hoping that things will fix themselves. We have to ask ourselves and the ones we love better questions. We have to figure out what actions we can take to bring about benefits we can measure.

We are not alone sitting in our confusion. We have any number of people who are looking to take positive action. Find a way to harness this energy and ride the wave.

You'll see it when you believe it. Today we need to stop listening and start believing in ourselves.

Your Life - Your Rules!

Namaste Speedo

Life's Shifts

2008-10-10T11:30:00.000-07:00

What are you going to do about the Shifts in your life?

Shifts permeate our lives today more than ever before. - Financial, Political, Spiritual, Relationships, Business . . . We're not in Kansas any more!

What can we learn from the Shifts in our lives?

In a word - Focus!

Focus of what is important to You and Your Family.

We all have choices to make in times like these. What are you going to choose?

All of the great motivators have always understood that it is easier to become swept up in the current of gloom and doom. It's the media mentality. Good news never sells. Paste the headlines with the worst picture possible and you will sell news. It is a business after all.

I am not saying that the we are not witnessing interesting times - but it is up to you and me to make a conscious decision as to what we focus on.

I choose to look at these times as a great opportunity to add a few wonderful clients to my coaching business. I want people who see today as the day they choose to take stock in their lives and goals. I want people who are willing to reassess where they are and more importantly - where they want to be in the next year.

We all need to become more lean and mean in our personal and business lives. We need to take a hard look at our expenditures - our budgets and take some personal control today with an honest eye on tomorrow. You do have options to consider.

Isn't this what some of our parents and grandparents did decades ago? They survived. They put this country back together or actually they didn't wait - they put the country on their back and carried it.

Kennedy asked this simple question "Ask not what your country can do for you - Ask what you can do for your country".

If you are sittin, waiting for someone magically to fix your life - you will have to wait a long time. In case you haven't noticed - there is a very long line of people with their hands out.

Do I like what is going on? Heck no! But - I still choose to look at today as a cascade of wonderful opportunities and a promising life ahead for you and me.

Your Life - Your Rules!
Namaste Speedo

Happy - Healthy - in Love!

2008-10-01T12:00:00.000-07:00

Three things that we all want out of our life. . . . without exception! A bold statement but true.

Happy . . . we all want to be happy. For me that means that I am at peace with myself and those around me. I have discovered that there is only one way for me to remain happy with what is going on around me - I mean with the people in my life and my actions toward them and others. In a word - Forgiveness.

Healthy . . . After all the gold is gone - all we have left is our health. I work hard to maintain good health. I love to cook with fresh meats and vegetables. I make my own sauces from scratch. No it does not make me a good cook, although it do like my diet and cooking. It's just that I had an upbringing in a catering family. I was helping in the kitchen all my life. I worked with some great cooks around the oil patch. I was always learning how to put food together.

I exercise daily. I ride my bike over 100 miles a week. It sounds like a lot, but it's only 15 miles or so, maybe an hour a day.

And I find time for quiet meditation.

In Love . . . I found that I do not need to be in a relationship in order to be in love. I love life. I love all the wonderful and questionable people in my life - it's their path. When I live in love, I become vulnerable to life and all the gifts that it has in store for me - God's Grace. All I have to do is show up with the heart of an explorer welcoming the presents that he lays at my feet. I need to remain grateful.

It all breaks down to what God's will is for me. I discovered it 20 years ago. Here it is - simplistic but it works for me . . . .

Treat the rest of His kids with Kindness . .
Play Fair . .
Share my toys.

When I live by this philosophy I bathe myself with Happiness - Health - in Love!

Your Life - Your Rules!
Namaste Speedo

Hobson's Choice!

2008-09-30T17:00:00.000-07:00

Have you ever been offered an all or nothing choice - not much of a choice when you look it. Your in a jam and there is no way out except to cop to whatever or die (emotionally anyway - maybe your life).

It originated from Thomas Hobson (1544-1631) from Cambridge England - he kept a livery stable and required every customer to take either the horse nearest the stable door or none at all. Not a customer service kind of guy - but a good businessman if you have no competition. He might have been the originator of the "supply and demand" theory in it simplest form.

Anyway - Hobson's Choice awakened some feeling in me that I want to address. How many times in my life had I had to make an all or nothing choice? Quite a few actually. (And - I am developing a screenplay where all the major characters have to walk through Hobson's Choice emotionally to save the day - especially the protagonist.)

As a kid growing up - it was presented to me many times. Usually done out of love from my parents. Follow the family rules as long as I lived under their roof. In some schools of thought this would be labeled abuse. Stifling the growth and development of a kid. My parents were old school.

In college I had a choice to show up for class, take the labs and tests or go to Viet Nam or work. I chose to show up until I was declared physically unfit for military service so I went to work.

I was fortunate to work in the oil patch around the world. While travel and living in other countries as an expatriate working on a visa I was able to follow their rules or go home. My mom gave me the best advise. She said "Speed, remember that you are a guest in their home (country), never let them know how good you have it at back home. Appreciate their generosity and kindness. And always say 'Thank you!'." This served me well over the years and continues today.

In relationships I had to love and honor the wonderful women that I had fortunate blessing to love and grow with. Here too - I, we, always have choices to be in the relationship or leave the relationship. It didn't matter who put up the mantle of in or out - we both new that relationship had outlived its usefulness for both of us.

Today I honor all my relationships - old lingering ones that I constantly count on and new exciting ones that I have yet to enter. Even these have ol' Hobson hovering around and I have choices to make - all or nothing. I have softened in my years. I believe that friendships twist and turn, grow and strain - and continue with acceptance of time honored love for my friends.

In dealing with kids - who are now adults - I have learned to treat them as friends. We too have our ups and downs, agreements and confusing growth periods - and, I am happy to say ol' Hobson never comes between my love for them. Love and forgiveness go hand and hand with our kids - no matter how old they are.

As we enter our later years we become quite close to ol' Hobson. In one area especially - Health. Unfortunately, this is usually coupled by insurance attorneys, accountants and lobbyests back is the lovable hamlet of Washington.... Have you watched the news lately.

Ol' Hobson was just trying to get all of his horses out of his stable.

Your Life - Your Rules!

Namaste Speedo

Resilience

2008-09-30T09:09:00.000-07:00

I am happy to say that I am back riding my bike once again . . with a golden helmet placed firmly on my noggin. Cycling servers two purposes for me - exercise and meditation. And no - I wasn't meditating when I hit the parked car. At least. . . . being that I can't remember, I don't think I was meditating.

My stitches are out and I am all healed . . thanks to a lot of Neosporin. Surprisingly, I don't not have much of a noticeable scar . . . . so I'm still another smiling pretty face.

I have been reading some articles about how we recover from the ups and downs of life. So I ask you . . . How resilient are you?

When I look back at my life I have noticed a pattern where my resiliency was slow. I don't know if I was waiting for the other shoe to drop or what. It seems that I would settle into the rut of victimization. That would lead to blaming someone or something for my actions or inactions. I'd mope around, criticize those around me, and primarily become an unpleasant person to be around.

I was suffering from my lack of resilience. Some say that we are either born with the positive trait of resilience or we don't possess it. I believe that we can develop anything that we put our minds to and some experts agree. They tell me that it does take dedication and practice though. We cannot just wish we had more resilience. We have to demonstrate resilience through taking actions that pull us out of our victimization.

The experts tell me that I need to go beyond my comfort zone and challenge myself. Risk builds resilience and it's good practice. When the initial risks demonstrate positive experiences - those experiences become a series of challenges that I can use to bridge my next hurdle.

If you don't have a positive events you can retrieve from your own past - pick up a biography about one of your heroes that you can emulate. A friend of my wrote a book called "Dream It - Do It!". It's full of amazing stories about successful people who chased their dreams against all odds. I highly recommend it.

Another thing that the experts advise is to teach ourselves patience. Rome wasn't built or destroyed in a day. The same thing goes for fixing problems that we have buried for years. Resilience requires being more strategic and less impulsive. We need to give ourselves time before reacting to inflammatory situations - as we might have done in the past. But patience is by no means an excuse to take no action.

Today I took some actions about fixing a problem that has been staring me in the face for years. The phone becomes real heavy when I have to walk to something that I have avoided, denied and basically ran away from for years. I don't know why I do this - but no more. I vow not to live that way any longer.

The last six months have been a struggle for me. I have had to walk through challenges that I did not want to walk through. I now realize that I have reached the end of my rope in these areas. I now have the courage to face them and put an end to my lack of resilience.

Today is the first day of the rest of my life.

Is there anything that you have been avoiding and living the life of a victim? Challenge yourself to practice resilience everyday. You will be amazed how good it makes you feel.

Your Life - Your Rules!
Namaste Speedo

Cycling - Bumps, Stitches & Bruises

2008-09-09T14:50:00.000-07:00

I have ridden a bike around 4,000 to 6,000 miles a year for the last 15 years here in the Coachella Valley. A great place to ride if you do not want a lot of hills. As golfers say "it's all down hill to the Sultan Sea".

Before I moved to Palm Desert, I rode a lot in Seattle growing up and going to college. When I could I rode in Scotland and other places that I have lived. I have never worn a helmet thinking that if I got hit by a car - I didn't want to be a vegetable - just run over me.

I am an aggressive rider. My theory is if I ride fast enough and stay in front of the traffic - they will be able to see me, see that I know what I am doing and treat me like they would any other car. I have never even had a close call riding on the highways.

So, when I woke up in Desert Hospital, having no recollection of what had happened - I was a little surprised. All that the emergency room personal could tell me is that I must have hit a parked car. I was brought by ambulance - I checked and there was no police report. It was a hot day - 108 - but that isn't as hot as I have ridden in over the years. I had been averaging about 140 miles a week for a few months with not a hint of exhaustion. I constantly drink water throughout the day.

I cannot tell you what happened. I have amnesia for the period from about 1:30 pm to 5:30 pm. They tell me that I had been "out of my mind" asking the same questions while in the hospital. I left the hospital around 8:00 pm. I followed doctors orders and stayed awake on a friends couch until 3:00 am when I went home.

Should I have been wearing a helmet? I would have to say yes. I would have lessened my injuries to my head - concussion and all that. But I think that I would have broken my nose and knocked out my front teeth.

It is now 5 days since the accident. I am still suffering the affects of the accident. I took between 12 and 15 stitches in the right forehead that are healing nicely. I have used a lot of "Neosporin". Friends tell me that I'm not just another pretty face any more and I respond with "I'm going for their sympathy look, instead of just my good looks and cute smile."

I am in the process of repairing the broken forks, handle bars and break handles - I should be back riding before the weekend - YES! - I will be wearing a helmet. I am building up my stamina by walking about an hour or longer each day. I like the outdoors rather than the gym. It's something about the fresh air and changing scenery.

Maybe someday I will remember what happened - or maybe this is the universe's way of a wake up call - that I am not invincible and should take better care of myself. If I wasn't in such good shape, it would have been a lot different.

Keep on riding

Your Life - Your Rules!

Namaste Speedo

No Risk - Know Reward

2008-09-03T20:00:00.000-07:00

I know that this is not a new earth shacking statement - but still it's a play on words that struck me this morning as I overheard a couple talking to their young adult children. As I watched I witnessed both the young man and woman who I assume were on their way back to college somewhere - sit a little taller, more secure - knowing that they had a loving, supportive relationship with their parents and they could chase their dreams.

I took the liberty in the spelling - replacing it with the positive 'know'. It jumped off the page at me. I wish I had had a deeper religious schooling so I could have heard and understood this 'know' as a kid. I believe that it would have changed my life. I would have had the courage to chase my dreams and desires early in my adult life because instead of having a fear of success/failure mentality - I would have had my perspective changed to a positive experience.

I would have had a "knowing" that whatever I did or dreamed I could accomplish - I would experience the journey for what it was; Character revealing. Instead, I always looked at the destination. I cheated myself out of wonderful experiences - personal development and self-esteem.

Why am I so moved to write about this today?

I am still in the process of self-discovery - once again. I am walking through the journey revealing my codependent roots, bringing them out of the darkness of denial and exposing them to the sunlight of the spirit.

I have walked through a couple of 12 step programs over the last 20 years and I have learned much about myself. But this journey is exposing the very roots of my fears in - business, personal, romantic, creative - all my relationships; including my relationship with me and a higher power.

If you are like me and have had your dreams destroyed, shaken, delayed by other people in your life - including yourself - I offer you a way to capture those lost dreams by taking a hard look at CoDA. Give it 6 meetings to be fair to yourself.

Try different meetings until you hear the message of hope and love from its' members. It's all about having healthy, loving, successful relationships without relinquishing who you are and what your dreams are. Jump in and go after the whole enchilada - with the loving guidance of a sponsor - dive into working the program - the 12 steps. What a wonderful journey of revealing 'you' to yourself. You will be amazed at the wonderful person you will meet, love, cherish - you will become your own best friend.

You will understand why I wrote about "No Risk - Know Reward!"

Your Life - Your Rules!

Namaste Speedo